The Coming of The Day after Tomorrow
by SMacked4ever
Summary: Could the events of "The Day after Tomorrow" happen to our favorite CSIs? Could Lindsay possibly not be Lindsay Monroe? Chapter 41 Now Up! Now Complete!
1. Hypotheses

_Hi all! __This is the second part of the Rising Storm stories. It continues off after the story Leaving Home, so you might want to read it first so you'll understand this story. But you don't have to read if it you don't want to, some of the things that happened in part one will be explained in here. Enjoy!_

_Title: Rising Storm, Part Two: The Coming of "The Day after Tomorrow"_

_Rated: K+_

_Summary: After evacuating their old homes to get away from Hurricane Arthur, they came to Chicago in hopes to rebuild their lives. Many could call Chicago their new home, and life couldn't be any more perfect, right? Wrong. Lindsay is still dealing with a life threatening secret, and even worse, the weather is acting up again. Could the possible events of "The Day after Tomorrow" really happen? Crossover with Cold Case, House, and Without a Trace, and a minor crossover with CSI and CSI: Miami. D/L, SMacked, Huddy, Cameron/Chase, Lilly/Scotty, GSR, Calleigh/Eric_

_One Year after the Evacuation of Hurricane Arthur_

_FBI Department, Illinois_

_Chapter One: Hypotheses_

Lindsay Monroe took a sip of her coffee that was placed beside her computer. She put it back beside her computer and leaned back in her chair. She sighed. "The girl has been missing for three days. She's a teenager. She probably ran away from home because she was mad at her parents, or she wanted to visit her boyfriend. I mean, these kinds of things happen all the time."

Samantha Spade peered over the glass that separated her desk from Lindsay's. "We've had teenagers go missing because of way more serious reasons than that. To be missing for one day would fit the profile of the girl running away from home because she was mad at her parents or because she wanted to visit her boyfriend. She has been missing for three days; by now, she would have gone home to her parents."

"I understand that," said Lindsay. "But it just doesn't seem like that important of a case. There could be others things we could be doing right now. And just because she has been missing for three days doesn't mean she didn't want to run away from her parents."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying you'd rather work on your case."

"No," said Lindsay. "It's just; we should be working on something like Stella's case, you know, when she went missing?"

"We already found her a year ago," said Samantha.

Lindsay shook her head. "I'm talking about a case like Stella's," said Lindsay. "Besides, I bet you this girl has been partying during her disappearance. She's probably fine."

"In this job, we don't make guesses," said Samantha. "We find the answers. And this girl isn't fine, she's in trouble."

"We make hypotheses," said Lindsay, "educated guesses that leads us to the answers. We can't just know what the answer is without the hypothesis first."

"We aren't conducting a science experiment," said Samantha. "We're finding a person. We don't make hypotheses."

"We still make educated guesses," said Lindsay.

Sam rose from her chair, holding a file in her hand. She held the file up in the air like she wanted Lindsay to grab it. Curious, Lindsay asked, "What's in the file?"

"I don't know," replied Samantha. "Maybe if you took this case seriously, then I would tell you about it."

Samantha started to walk away, so Lindsay hurried to follow her. "Okay, so this girl is in trouble. We've got to find her."

"This girl does have a name," replied Samantha.

"Amanda, the girl, she's in trouble," Lindsay said. "Now tell me what's in the file."

They were stopped in the hall by Martin Fitzgerald. He smiled at them and then said, "Amanda has been spotted by a near by Chicago mall."

Lindsay smiled. "See, that shows she could have run away from home because she wanted to get away from her parents. Maybe she's shopping for a dress for a _party_ later tonight."

"I still don't believe it," said Samantha. "Maybe she was waiting for someone."

"And why shop for clothes when you're trying not to be found by your parents?" asked Martin.

Lindsay sighed loudly. "Oh, I don't know, because she's dumb."

"Anyway, were you able to get squad cars out to get her?" asked Samantha.

"We tried, but she wasn't there when the police got there," said Martin. "But she has got to be near that mall. I'll go check with Danny and see if he found anything."

Lindsay watched as Martin left. She thought about Danny, not Danny Taylor who worked with the FBI, but Danny Messer who worked with the CSI. She wondered how he was doing, but she knew she'd rather not see the guy; he would just try some stupid act to get her to love him again. Even after not seeing her at all during the past year she knew he would still try that.

Working with the FBI was exactly what she'd hoped for, she was able to figure out more about her case and the job provided her with a lot of adventure, just like being a CSI had. She still missed being able to work in the lab, but now that she was an FBI agent, she was able to get out more, being able to explore the city of Chicago. She turned to see Samantha had already started walking off. She ran to catch up.

"Hey, Sam," she called. She ran to Sam's side. "Why haven't the others recognized me, from the Paige Hobson case? You and Jack are the only two people that remember me as Paige Hobson."

"The others have expected the thought that Paige is dead," said Samantha. "It has been four years since Paige has, well, technically been missing. People believe she's dead now."

"Even my sister?" asked Lindsay. "Well, Paige's sister, Beth Hobson. But maybe Paige is dead. Have you ever thought that maybe I'm her clone?"

Samantha stopped where she was. She laughed. "You're not a clone, trust me. Even if you aren't Paige and she's your sister, you two are nothing alike. There's no way you're a clone."

"But have you ever thought about it?" asked Lindsay.

Samantha began to walk again. "You're not a clone. You have a memory of being Paige, remember?"

"Yeah," said Lindsay. "But it's a possibility."

"Or, how do you put it, a hypothesis, or an educated guess?" said Sam.

"Exactly," said Lindsay.

_A/N: Okay, just to let you guys know, the case that was mentioned in this chapter isn't that important to the story, so it won't be mentioned that much. There'll be a few introduction chapters, but soon the action will come. Hope you liked it! Next chapter will about CSI: NY._


	2. Thanksgiving

_Thanks to my lovely reviewers: lily moonlight, iluvcsi4ever, StoryDreamer, and crazypeoplearemypeople. I'm glad you found the first chapter interesting! Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Chapter Two: Thanksgiving_

_Chicago Crime Lab, Illinois_

Stella stared outside the window, glad to finally have time to sit at her desk and think. She and Mac had just solved a big murder case. But she didn't want to think about that, she found herself thinking of one special night that happened a while ago.

One year ago, on a date to a Chicago Bulls game, after they had had a nice dinner, Mac had taken her to the Sears Tower observation deck, where she had been able to see a beautiful view of Chicago. Later in the night, they had gone to the beach, walking along the sandy shore. She remembered that beautiful August night, when he proposed to her. She had said yes right away, she couldn't imagine her life without Mac.

She stared at the diamond ring the sparkled ever so brilliantly in the light. Mac had the greatest taste; he had picked out the perfect ring. She loved him so much; she knew they would be together forever.

A person's voice startled her from her thoughts. "Detective Taylor!"

Stella turned around immediately. At this time, Mac was walking over to her desk with a file in his hand. His attention also focused on the person. "Yes?" they both asked at the same time.

"Ah, Detective Taylor is who I asked for," the guy said. "Not you, Detective Bonasera."

Stella laughed, obviously this guy hadn't know that she and Mac were married. They could both respond to 'Detective Taylor,' if they wanted to, since they were married.

"Well, who do you want?" asked Mac. "Mr. or Mrs. Taylor?"

The guy literally fell over. He was so embarrassed. "Um, you two are…"

"…married," Stella finished for him. "Yes, Mac and I are married, if you didn't know that. You must be new." She stood up from her chair. "I'm Stella, and you must know that's Mac." She reached out to shake his hand.

The guy shook her hand. "I'm Detective Eric Hunter," he told her. "I work in the east side of the building, that's why we've never met. I've been working here for ten years."

"Well, Detective Hunter," said Stella, "it's nice to meet you."

"Sorry about the whole Detective Taylor thing," said Eric. "The lady at the front desk only told me to get Detective Taylor, not which one. I guess they weren't thinking that there were two Detectives with the last name Taylor."

"It's okay," said Mac. "Anyone could have made that same mistake."

Eric nodded towards the ground. Stella could tell he was still a little embarrassed. She turned back towards her desk. Right out of the corner of her eye, she saw Katie Holms, a Chicago CSI investigator, walk over to her desk. "Hey Katie," said Stella. "What's up?"

Katie shook her long brunette hair out of her face. "Nothing much," she replied. "But it sure does sound like something's going on over here."

"Yeah," said Stella. "Anyway, did you send this guy down here to get 'Detective Taylor'?" She pointed to Eric.

"No," said Katie. "But I do know him. I'm sorry Eric that you haven't heard the news that Mac and Stella are married. I guess it just takes some people longer to find out things."

"Yeah, like one year," whispered Stella.

"It was the lady at the front desk who didn't clarify that there were two detectives working here that happened to be married," said Eric.

"Well, now you know," said Mac.

"So, what did the lady at the front desk want?" asked Stella.

"Oh, she said someone by the name of Sid Hammerback called," said Eric. "Do you know him?"

"Yeah," answered Stella. "Thanks."

Eric nodded. He then left, for he had to go back and work on a case. Stella turned to Mac. "Sid wants to invite you over for Thanksgiving dinner. At least, that's what I'm assuming, since it is October and Thanksgiving is three weeks from now."

Mac shook his head. "We'll be busy this Thanksgiving. You know, spending time with each other?"

"Come on Mac," said Stella. "We should go. I mean, his family has got to be interesting."

"Interesting," Mac repeated. "What if I was planning to take you to…let's say, Greece?"

"Greece?" questioned Stella. "Well, let's pack our bags early and leave now!"

Mac smiled, telling her that he was lying about going to Greece. She had already known he was lying in the first place. "We can't say no if he asks," said Stella. "It would be impolite."

"You can tell him that," said Mac.

"Well, then, I will," said Stella.

She went over to sit by Katie, who was taking a sip of her coffee. She looked up at her. "Yes?"

"Nothing," replied Stella.

Mac came over to sit by her. She smiled at him and then turned to look at the phone. She knew Sid would try calling again. She wanted to answer it right away when the phone rang. And within seconds, the phone rang.

She reached over to answer it. She pressed the phone hard against her ear. "Hey Sid, what's up?"

Mac gave her an irritated look, but she ignored it. She listened to Sid's words instead. "You'd better be careful next time Stella," he said. "You know it might have not been me."

"I know," Stella confessed. "I just had a feeling it would be you. So, are you going to invite Mac to Thanksgiving dinner? I mean, I'm sure he'd want to go. Of course you would have to invite me, since Mac and I are married…"

"Whoa, wait there. Hold the train and go back to the station!" exclaimed Sid. "How did you know I was going to ask about Thanksgiving dinner? And you and Mac are married?"

"Yep," replied Stella. "We've been married for one year now. But you know about the dinner, I have a great idea. Maybe instead of just Mac and me coming to Denver to celebrate Thanksgiving with you, how about you come to Chicago and we can reunite with our fellow CSI investigators? I could call Adam from Phoenix and see if he can come."

Sid was quiet for a moment, probably to think about what she had just said. He spoke up again, his voice sounding pleased. "Actually, that sounds like a good idea. It would be nice to meet up again; it has been strange not seeing you guys while I'm working in the morgue."

"So you're still working as a medical examiner?" asked Stella.

"Yes," replied Sid. "Of course the job would be better back in New York."

"Yeah, the job as being a detective would be better in New York too," said Stella. "But, I heard that New York is still under construction with the aftermath of the storm. So, Thanksgiving plans are an okay?"

"Yep," said Sid.

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"Goodbye."

Stella placed the phone back on the table. She looked at Mac. "Celebrating Thanksgiving with our fellow CSI investigators?" he questioned. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

"Thank you," said Stella.

Katie, who had been silent for a while, looked up from her coffee cup. "Who's this Sid guy?"

"A ME that used to work at the New York Crime Lab," replied Mac.

"Well, before Hurricane Arthur came in and destroyed the city," Stella pointed out. With a sigh she added, "I wonder what happened to New York."

_What happened to New York? We'll find out in later chapters to come…_

_Another introduction chapter, just to see how our favorite CSIs are adjusting to their new life. Reviews please, tell me what you think! :) Next chapter will be about Cold Case._


	3. Emails

_Thanks to iluvcsi4ever, lily moonlight, and crazypeoplearemypeople for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! :)_

_iluvcsi4ever: Hurricane Gustav also affected us in Chicago…it dumped a butch of rain on the city. There will also be a lot of D/L in this story!_

_lily moonlight: I love that idea! I didn't include flashbacks of Mac and Stella's wedding in the story, but I might consider writing an oneshot about their wedding. _

_crazypeoplearemypeople: This is a Lilly/Scotty chapter. Hope you like it! _

_Chapter Three: Emails_

_Rockford Police Department, Illinois_

Lilly Rush sat at her desk, checking her recent emails from her friends who used to work with her in Philadelphia. She turned to look away from her computer screen, seeing Scotty Valens talking with another person he worked with. She got distracted from her work and continued to look at Scotty.

His face was serious, and a frown was forming on his face. Instead of talking to the person, he slowly nodded his head. When he walked over to her, his face lit up with a smile. "Lil, are you going to admire me all day?"

Lilly shook her head and looked up at him. "No," she replied. "I was actually checking emails and then I happened to see you over there…"

"Who were the emails from?" asked Scotty.

Lilly smiled. "I knew you would ask that." She turned in her chair to face the computer again. "I got an email from Kat, and she said everything was fine in Vegas. Everyone thought she would spend all her money the first day, but in her email, she states that she has only been to the casinos a few times. And she says she has the same job, investigating cold cases, just like us. So, everything sounds good for her."

"What about the others?" Scotty asked.

"Well, Nick didn't say much, just that everything's fine in Utah," said Lilly. "He does say that we should come and visit. John pretty much said the same thing…but Will asked a very important question, instead of telling me how he was doing in Ohio."

"What was it?" Scotty asked.

"'Are you and Scotty dating yet'?" Lilly read. "'And if not, you two should. Isn't that why you went to Chicago, Rush?'"

Scotty laughed. "You can reply to that as a yes."

"Yeah," agreed Lilly. She turned around in her chair again, to face Scotty. She glanced back at the spot where he had been standing earlier. "What was that about? Over there, when you were talking to that detective?"

He immediately glanced behind him. "Oh, that," he said. "Um, my friend is in the hospital. He has lung cancer…"

"Was he a smoker?" asked Lilly.

"Unfortunately," said Scotty.

"I'm sorry, Scotty," said Lilly. "If you want, I can give you some time off work, so you can go visit him."

"Actually, that's what I was going to come and ask you," said Scotty. "Could you do that for me?"

Lilly nodded. "Yeah, it's possible."

Scotty smiled. "Thanks, Lil, I mean it. I'll make sure not to be too long."

She grabbed his hand before he had a chance to turn around. "Actually, I think I could use a break too. Maybe after you go visit your friend in the hospital, we could go out for lunch, just you and me?"

"Sure," agreed Scotty. "Of course, who else could we invite to come?"

Lilly got up from her chair and walked over to Scotty. He put his arm around her shoulder, and they descended down the hallway. Lilly thought about his last comment. They didn't have anyone to invite to lunch anymore, their old team was living all over the US. She did miss her old friends, but she was glad that she had come to Chicago with Scotty. If she hadn't, she would have felt so alone. "What hospital is your friend staying at?" she decided to ask.

"Northwestern Memorial Hospital," Scotty replied.

_Anyone wanna guess what chapter is next? After leaving with a cliffie at the end of Leaving Home, we now get to see how Cuddy has adjusted to her life and we get to see what happened to House after he left Cuddy's hospital room in part one…_

_Reviews please! I love to hear what you guys think! :)_


	4. Hearing Through My Eyes

_Thank you to lily moonlight, iluvcsi4ever, and crazypeoplearemypeople for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! And no need to worry lily moonlight, I didn't exactly know much about the characters of Cold Case when I began writing this. But I'm glad you like the characters! _

_Chapter Four: Hearing Through My Eyes_

_Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Illinois_

She was almost there.

She would always run to work; it helped her think about nothing. It helped her not to think about what had happened the day before at work and about what had happened the past year. She didn't want to think about the past at all anymore; she thought about what would lie in the future.

The wind blew in her face, feeling cool and refreshing. Although she couldn't hear it, she knew it was there. She couldn't hear her own panting from the running, but she knew she was breathing hard. She knew what happened around her, even if she couldn't hear any of it.

She, Lisa Cuddy, was deaf. And she had come to accept it.

The building she had come to know appeared on her right. She picked up her pace and ran faster. When she came to the entrance of the hospital, she stopped to look at her watch and take her pulse. After that, she entered the hospital to start the next part of her routine, which would be taking a nice, hot shower.

She walked past a few doctors, who smiled to her. She smiled back. She had her popularity in the hospital, now that she had gotten the position as administrator. Even Thirteen, the annoying doctor on House's staff from New Jersey, looked up to her for advice. She was the one who had taught her sign language. She was surprised that she even had the patience to teach her, Thirteen had thought she would learn everything in a matter of three days.

But she had taught her, and that was what mattered. Now, Thirteen didn't bug her about it. She didn't ask her, "What does that mean?" or "What did you say?" anymore. Of course, she would have had to lip read what she was saying, so it was nice that Thirteen had learned sign language.

She walked into the locker room. She found her locker, opened it, and tossed a letter that she had been carrying with her inside it. She didn't know why she used the locker anymore, when she had her own office to put all of her belongings in. She grabbed her clothes and headed for the shower.

Allison Cameron, one of her best friends, had also learned sign language. She had helped her throughout her whole experience with being deaf, during the time after her surgery last year to the time when she had been asked to speak at a conference. Or, she had been asked to sign everything for them. Cameron had to translate everything for the group at the conference. Cameron was actually the one who translated for her when she was signing to someone.

She put her head under the shower head, letting the hot water beat against her face. She couldn't hear the running water, but she could still feel it. Feeling and seeing were her two most important senses now, the two senses that helped her determined if something was there or if she was imagining it. When it came to smelling, that really only came in handy when food was being cooked or if she smelled her favorite dessert. Of course smelling could still help her in many situations, like if there was a fire, but she was deaf, not blind, so seeing was more useful.

She showered fast, dressed fast, and then walked to her office, fast. She was clutching the letter that she had carried during her run to the hospital in her right hand, eagerly waiting to open it. She knew who it was from, and that person knew she would answer back immediately.

She entered her office and quickly sat down in her chair. Her office was small, but roomy enough to have a desk, a couch, and even a TV. As she was about to open the letter, she realized there was a message on the computer. She clicked on it and saw that it was a reminder for a surgery she was prepping for later in the day. Yes, the doctors were letting her perform part of a surgery, but she had performed the surgery many times before. A doctor from a year ago had performed the surgery on her, when she was sick with Meniere's disease.

A tap on her shoulder startled her from her thoughts. She looked up to see Cameron, smiling at her. "What's up?" she signed.

"Nothing," Cameron signed back. She sat down in a chair across from hers. She opened her mouth in the manner of an exasperated sigh.

"Is Chase giving you problems?" Cuddy signed to her.

"No," Cameron quickly signed. "I'm just, having problems with a patient."

Cuddy nodded. Cameron was the only one of her friends that actually just signed to her, not talked as she signed what she was saying. That was how good she was at sign language. Even Thirteen couldn't match up to her.

Cameron pointed to the letter. She signed, "Have you read it yet?"

Cuddy shook her head.

Cameron began to sign some more. "Read the letter. Then you can come to the clinic and see to the patient I've been having problems with. Don't take long." She took a sticky note and wrote the room number of the patient. She got up from her seat, leaving Cuddy to be at peace with herself.

She waited until the door fully closed behind Cameron. Then she picked up the letter, carefully tore it open, and unfolded the note. It read:

_My Beautiful Lisa,_

_How are things going for you? Well, I hope. I will assure you that I am well myself, and I know you will ask the question time and time again. And for where I am, I'll tell you, I'm somewhere, doing something that will benefit the both of us. We'll be together one day, and that's a promise I'll keep._

_But enough about me, I want to feel your voice, see your voice, not hear. Taking in your perspective of the world, I do not believe hearing gets you anywhere. Feeling and seeing the world will bring you much closer to the world in detail._

_Please write back. Please tell me you are enjoying life, your job, and your friends. I want to be there with you, but right now, I can't. So next time you write, don't focus on questions wandering your mind, think of answers, thoughts, things you want me to know. I haven't seen you for the past year, Lisa; I want to know more about you. You've changed now, and I, myself, have changed. _

_So write, write your heart out, tell me everything you want me to know, but no questions, just answers. I miss you. I love you._

_Greg_

Tears formed in Cuddy's eyes. His letters and emails got more and more beautiful; that was the only way the two had kept in contact. In most of her emails to him, she had asked him questions, like "Where are you now?" and "Will you ever come back to Chicago?" She had believed House left her in her hospital bed, last year after her surgery, because he was mad at her, and he didn't want to love someone like her.

She had been wrong. He left for a good reason, a reason that would benefit the both of them in the few years to come. She read the second paragraph again. House had described that feeling and seeing the world would get you so much farther than hearing it. She believed that. She believed to listen through her eyes instead of listening through her ears.

If you placed your hand in the water, you could feel the temperature of it. If you looked at the water, you could see its color. You could find out so much about the water by just feeling it and seeing it. She knew she couldn't hear the lovely sound of the water, moving back and forth along the shore. But she could imagine that. She didn't live in a soundless world; she could hear things through her sense of sight, smell, and touch.

She held the letter in her hands, holding onto the memory of House. _I miss you…I love you…_those words stayed in her mind; they would stay close to her heart forever. She managed to find her voice, the one she used to always use, even though she couldn't hear it. "I miss you too, House," she whispered. "I love you too."

Letting the letter rest on the desk, she grabbed her lab coat and walked out the door.

_Okay, I hope House didn't seem out of character in the letter, I just thought nicer towards Cuddy since he loves her. How did you like it? Was it good? How do you like the storyline of Cuddy being deaf? _

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter will be with Lindsay and Samantha. :)_


	5. Beth's Letter

_Thank you to iluvcsi4ever, lily moonlight, crazypeoplearemypeople, and theAlyCat for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter (even though House was a little bit OOC, I just had to write the letter that way)_

_Chapter Five: Beth's Letter_

_FBI Department, Illinois_

Lindsay and Samantha were still walking. That file Sam was holding in her hand intrigued Lindsay; she had to know what was in there. She knew Sam was trying to torture her; she wanted her to think more about the missing teenager than her case.

As they walked by a few desks, they saw FBI agent Jack Malone, sitting at his desk, working on paper work. Lindsay pulled up a chair and sat next to him. He glanced up from his work, raising an eyebrow. "What is it Monroe?"

"Spade here won't tell me what's in the file," she replied.

Jack turned his gaze on Samantha. "What's in the file, Spade?"

"Hey, I'm not going to tell her until she focuses on our case with the missing teenager," said Samantha.

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "I am focusing on the case. Now I know that file has something to do with me. Give it up."

Samantha lay the file down on Jack's desk, but put her hand on it, so Lindsay couldn't open it. She nodded to Jack and he took the file from her. "Jack reads it first."

Lindsay sighed. She knew that had something to do with her and being both Lindsay Monroe and Paige Hobson. She had a feeling that it was bad news by the way Sam was anticipating her reading it.

Lindsay thought about how she had reacted to this case a year ago. She had done nothing but cry, causing suspicions with her old CSI team. She had worried about the case so much that it got the best of her. She was still worried now, but she looked to finding her true identity as beginning a new life, starting over again. If she was really Lindsay Monroe, she would go back to working as a CSI, and work with Mac and Stella. But if she was really Paige Hobson, she would go back to jail, to serve the sentence she was given because she had killed General Gamba.

She didn't fear jail anymore. She deserved to be there, if she was Paige, but for a good reason. What she did, shooting General Gamba, had helped the country of Makeba restore order again. It had helped Adisa's people break free from that terrible leader. But then again, what she did might have not helped. And what she had done was wrong...murder was not the answer to solving problems…

When Jack was finished reading the file, he glanced quickly at Lindsay and then at Samantha. "Should we let her...?"

"Of course you should let me read it," said Lindsay. "If it's about me, why shouldn't I?"

Sam shook her head. "No, it's best that you don't read it."

_Too late_, Lindsay thought as she grabbed the file from Jack. She smiled at Jack and said, "I guess you should have kept a better grip on the file. Then I wouldn't have got it!" She got up from her chair and walked away, with Sam following her. She had to walk around the whole office to keep Sam from stealing the file away from her again.

"Lindsay, give that back!" exclaimed Samantha.

Again, she ignored her. What she thought was in the file was an answer to something on her case. But really, it was a letter from Beth Hobson, Paige's sister, along with background information on Paige. She had already read about Paige; the letter she hadn't seen before.

_I hate her. She made the wrong decision. She was idiot in the making. First trying to save the world and then killing someone. Why did she bother trying? And then running off with that guy, he was the one who convinced her to kill that man. It would have been better if she were never put on this earth. Because of her, I have no life. Not anymore. Everyone thinks I'm going to turn into her, kill someone, go to jail, and then escape from jail just to go missing again. So find her! Find my sister, Paige Hobson! She deserves to die, in jail, where she belongs._

_From her sister, Beth_

Lindsay stopped dead in her tracks. She couldn't believe it, her own sister, or Paige's sister, was saying that it was her fault for ruining her life. She remembered Beth hadn't liked the idea of Paige and Adisa being together. She had known from the beginning that Adisa had been bad news. But this letter, it was full of hate towards Paige, hate towards her. She had to call Beth immediately and explain to her what was going on…

Samantha had already taken the file and the letter away from her. She was saying her name, but suddenly, the name Lindsay and Paige didn't sound right. The two names didn't sound like they belonged to her. Lindsay tried to meet Sam's gaze, but she couldn't.

"Paige!" exclaimed Samantha. "Are you okay?"

Paige, that was the name Samantha had been calling her. She remembered that she had told her to call her that. "Why did she write this?" Lindsay demanded. "When did she write this?"

"We received the letter this morning," replied Samantha. "The reason for her writing this, though, I don't know."

Lindsay shook her head. "She's angry at Paige," she explained. "I am not Paige. I am Lindsay right now. I shouldn't be mad at this at all."

Samantha was slowly shaking her head. "I didn't want you to see that. You may not know if you're Paige or not, but either way, I knew that note would hurt. When I read it, I just couldn't believe it myself why Beth had written it. I assure you, that note is probably just…"

"I want to call Beth," said Lindsay. "I don't care if that note was directed to me, or to the FBI, but I need to explain to Beth what's going on with Paige, with me having two different identities."

"No," said Samantha. "We can't call her until we've figured out your true identity. It's not safe for anyone else to know about you."

"Jack, Mac, you, and…" Lindsay paused. "That doctor, what was her name again? Dr. Lisa Cuddy? That's only four people."

"Four people are enough," said Samantha. "If more people know about you, the whole world will end up knowing. It's best to keep it a secret."

Lindsay thought back to when she was at the New York Crime Lab, the day of the evacuation. She had gone into the bathroom, crying, and signed her name on the bathroom stall, saying: Paige Hobson, Thursday, March 27, 2008. That had been last year. She wished someone had found the signature before the storm hit.

She turned away from Samantha and walked back over to Jack's desk. She lowered her voice as she said, "Jack, do you think I'm a clone?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get that idea?"

"I don't know," said Lindsay. "But it could be possible, don't you think?"

"Cloning is illegal," said Jack.

"It wasn't when I was born," Lindsay pointed out.

"The research was just being discovered for that then," said Jack. "It probably wasn't even around until you were a teenager. And plus, you have a memory of being Paige."

"What about DNA testing?" Lindsay questioned. "It's more advanced than it was last year; it could prove who I really am…" She knew that Samantha didn't believe DNA testing was more advanced in one year, because she, herself, knew that was a lie.

"DNA testing isn't more advanced than last year," said Samantha. "But I had thought about."

Lindsay slowly nodded. She wanted to have as much hope as she could. But it seemed as if her hope was slowly fading away. And thinking back to the conversation she had earlier with Sam, she knew that educated guesses or hypotheses wouldn't help her. What she needed were the answers, the real proven answers.

"We'll figure this out," said Jack. "I promise."

She wished she could share his determination, but now, she felt like crying again, just like she had done a year ago.

_A/N: Hope you guys liked it! Next chapter will be about Cuddy and the other doctors...I can't really say the next chapter will be about House because there are chapters that are just about him coming up. And review at any time, any chapter! If you read the story before this one and didn't review it, it's okay to review now if you want! Tell me what you think! :)_


	6. An Annoying Patient

_Thanks to theAlyCat, crazypeoplearemypeople, and lily moonlight for reviewing. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter! And there's a little surprise for you…Cold Case also makes an appearance in this chapter! Yay! :D_

_Chapter Six: An Annoying Patient_

_Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Illinois_

Cuddy walked into the room, smiling to Cameron as she came to her side. "What's wrong?" she signed.

"The patient banged her head hard on the wall in her home and insists she's fine," Cameron signed to her. "I think she might have had a concussion. Her sister also believes she had a concussion. That's why she rushed her here."

"And what I am supposed to do?" Cuddy signed.

Cameron smiled. "You will help me prove she had a concussion." She turned to the patient. _"This is Dr. Lisa Cuddy, administrator of the hospital. She agrees with me that you had a concussion."_

The patient shook her head. _"I'm fine. I just have a headache, nothing serious. Go help and save another life, like someone who is actually dying. Not me."_

"_Concussions are serious," _said Cameron_. "And a headache is a symptom of having a concussion, if you didn't know."_

The patient rolled her eyes. _"I'm fine."_

"_You're not the doctor," _said Cameron. She turned back to Cuddy. "See?" she signed. "I told you this patient was a pain."

The patient glanced at Cuddy, and then back at Cameron. _"Wait, she's death?" _

Anger flashed in Cameron's eyes. _"First of all, the word's deaf, not death. And second, just because she can't hear, doesn't mean she's not capable of anything. She has been working here for the last year like this and not ever has a patient thought of her as not being able to hear. She's a good doctor. She went to med school, and she had worked as a doctor many years before she became deaf. And just because she is deaf, doesn't mean she has forgotten any of her medical training."_

Cuddy knew what had just happened. She could lip read, and she knew that Cameron had just told the patient not to think of her as _that_, as _deaf_, _disabled_, _different. _She looked towards Cameron, who nodded to her. Cuddy quickly looked at the patient's eyes and then signed to Cameron, "Pupil size isn't unequal, so that's good. All she needs is plenty of rest and then she should be fine."

Cameron nodded. _"Get plenty of rest. You had a concussion."_

The patient shrugged and got up from her seat. As she walked towards the door, she almost lost her balance and Cameron quickly stopped her from falling into the wall. _"I'm just a little woozy," _she told her.

"_More symptoms of a concussion: loss of coordination, difficulty with balancing, and feeling lightheaded. I think you should be wheeled out of the hospital. Don't want to fall into a wall and end up with another concussion, do we?"_

The patient looked at Cameron in disbelief. _"A wheelchair? Seriously?"_

"_Yes, seriously," _said Cameron. She signaled to a nurse in the room to get a wheelchair for her. It was the first time Cuddy realized there was a nurse in the room.

She then departed the room, and Cameron followed, leaving her patient still standing in disbelief. She quickly caught up to her, and began to sign furiously. She was also talking as she signed, which was something she never did. "I'm sorry about that," Cameron signed. "The patient's an idiot. She's lucky she didn't end up with serious brain damage."

Cuddy shook her head. "I'm fine, really," she signed to Cameron. "There's nothing you need to apologize for. The patient didn't know about my condition, so it was just a surprise for her. If I got a nickel for every time someone learned that I was deaf, I would be rich."

Cameron looked at her uneasily. She knew that had been partly a lie, most people knew she was deaf, and if they didn't, nobody ever responded to her like that patient had. But most people also knew the she was a good doctor, so no one disagreed with her judgment. Maybe she had made too many friends that were worried to say what they really felt about her. Maybe no one wanted to make her mad.

She decided to change the subject. "I have to get ready for a surgery," she signed to Cameron. "I'll see you later."

Cameron nodded. When Cuddy had left and was totally out of eye sight, a voice called her name. "Cameron?"

She turned around to see Robert Chase, looking at her with concern in his eyes. "What was that about?" he asked.

"A patient," replied Cameron. "She couldn't accept that Cuddy was deaf. I…I just hate people who think of her as that. She's a normal person, just like you and me! It's just stupid for people to think that; just because someone's deaf it doesn't mean that they can't do anything. They think deaf people need help with everything, when the truth is, that they are smarter than anyone else around them."

"I don't think that of Cuddy," said Chase.

"I know you don't," said Cameron. "But you've worked with her for a long time and knew her before she became deaf. You know how she feels and know that life can be hard for her. You and I understand what she's going through. Other people don't even think twice about what she's going through. They just assume she doesn't know anything."

"Not everyone thinks that," said Chase. "Some people are just scared about how to react to Cuddy, because they don't want to upset her. And maybe the patient's known for her attitude; don't forget what House was like."

"Yeah, House," said Cameron. "He left Cuddy, right there in her hospital bed when he figured out about her being deaf. He's just like the others, he's just writing letters to Cuddy to make her feel better. He's never going to come back to Chicago."

Before Chase could say anything else, she walked away from him. She wasn't the one who needed comfort; she'd had enough support in her life. Cuddy needed House, and she would do whatever it took to get him to come back to Chicago. Cuddy had lived enough of her life being alone, now she needed someone to comfort her.

_Lobby_

Lilly watched the doctors rush around, ordering nurses to get this, and get that, for their patients. Doctors were bringing patients to the OR, or bringing them to reunite with their families. There were not many people sitting in the waiting area, only a couple, who were silently crying. She tried to not watch them, knowing that could be Scotty, crying over the death of his friend. And that's what she was waiting for, for Scotty to bring the news of how his friend was, if he had a chance of living, or if he was about to die in a matter of a few days.

She wanted to believe his friend was going to live, but she knew that lung cancer was untreatable, and if the cancer was well developed, then his chances of living would be less likely. She still had hope; hope for Scotty and for his friend, even though she had never met him.

A doctor passed by the waiting area, stopping to talk to a nurse. But then she realized the doctor wasn't talking to the nurse, she was using sign language to communicate with her. The doctor was either deaf or the nurse was. She couldn't tell, but once the nurse just answered with a nod of her head, she had a feeling that the doctor was the one who was deaf. The nurse didn't know sign language, but must have only known what the doctor had told her, because she had seen the doctor sign it to her many times before.

This interested Lilly, she had worked a cold case when a deaf student had become murdered. She had had to go around and communicate with the deaf community, and learned how they saw the world. She thought it was fascinating how they explained the way they heard the world, "hearing the world through their eyes." The doctor must have noticed she was staring at her, because she had put her head to one side, giving her a look saying, "Are you okay?"

Lilly nodded and then signed to her. "I'm okay. Thanks."

A smile appeared on the doctor's face. She nodded to her, and then walked away from the waiting area. Lilly was glad to have made the doctor smile; she didn't even think the doctor would have noticed her. She didn't know much sign language, but had learned a few saying during that case.

She had been staring at the spot where the doctor had been standing for a long time that she hadn't even realized Scotty was saying her name. "Lilly, what are you looking at?"

She looked up to him. "There was a doctor there, earlier anyway. She just reminded me of a case we worked last year…"

"What case?" Scotty asked as he sat down besides her.

"Remember when that student was murdered, Andy, right by a piano he was playing?"

"Yeah," said Scotty. "He was deaf, right?"

Lilly nodded. "The doctor, she was deaf too. She noticed me, so I signed to her, saying, "I'm okay. Thanks," because she had given me a look asking if I was all right. When I signed to her, she smiled. She was happy I was able to communicate with her." She was quiet for a moment, but then decided to ask, "How's your friend? Is he going to be okay?"

Scotty shook his head. "The cancer gave him pneumonia."

"Do you know how long he's going to live?" asked Lilly, though she was some what afraid the question might bring him to tears.

"He has a month to live," he replied.

"I'm so sorry, Scotty," Lilly apologized. "This must be hard for you…I wish I could do something to help…"

"You're helping me now," said Scotty, "staying with me, here at the hospital. I couldn't ask of anything more from you. You've really helped me, through all of these years."

Lilly tried to meet Scotty's gaze, but she couldn't. She could feel her cheeks grow hot, turning red in embarrassment. Scotty put his hand on her chin, raising her head so he could see her face. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm glad you've helped me through these years, really."

"I know, I'm sorry," said Lilly. "It's just…"

"Shh," Scotty whispered. "You don't have to apologize. It's okay." He removed his hand from her chin, and then set his gaze on a window, a little ways away from the waiting area. Lilly understood the message.

"You need time to think about what happened," she whispered.

Scotty nodded, his gaze still on the window.

_A/N: Not much action, but anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. The next part will be about CSI: NY! And also, the dialogue that is italicized is what Cuddy can't hear. And I apologize for any mistakes on the medical issues in here._


	7. Danny

_Thanks to lily moonlight and theAlyCat for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! And you guessed right, theAlyCat; Cuddy was the doctor who Lilly signed to. _

_Chapter Seven: Danny_

_Chicago Crime Lab, Illinois_

"Flack!" exclaimed Stella.

As he turned around to look at her, she ran up to him. "What's up?" she asked.

"Nothing much," replied Flack. "But I was going to go see what Hawkes was doing. Do you want to come?"

"Sure," replied Stella. "Maybe we could help him in the lab, or with autopsies?"

Flack shuddered. "I'm not a lab technician and definitely not a ME. Besides, the morgue isn't the place I'd like to spend the day."

"I'd much rather work in the lab than in the morgue," Stella agreed.

They walked to the lab first, which took them only a few minutes to get there. When they arrived, they saw Sheldon Hawkes examining blood stained clothes, obviously a murder victim's clothes. "Hawkes!" called Flack.

He turned around. "Hey Flack, hey Stella," he replied in a happy tone. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Stella answered. "How are you doing?"

"Well, actually," said Hawkes, "I'm just examining the victim's clothing—for a case I'm working on—nothing else. I did hear that Sid called, though."

"You heard right," said Stella.

"Was he trying to invite Mac over for Thanksgiving again?" asked Hawkes.

"Yep," replied Stella. "Sid called again and I was able to answer the phone. Instead of just me and Mac going out to Colorado to celebrate Thanksgiving with him and his family, I thought that Sid could come to Chicago and we could have a party here. We could invite all our fellow CSI investigators from New York."

"Good luck trying to get Danny and Lindsay to come to the party," said Flack. "It would be best if you didn't invite them, they're just going to fight the entire time."

"I'm sure Danny and Lindsay must have gotten over that now," said Stella. "I've talked to Lindsay a few times on the phone; she says she wouldn't mind talking to Danny again. And she says that she loves her new job now…but I guess that was kind of irrelevant. But Danny, I'm not so sure about. Has anyone heard from him lately?"

Flack and Hawkes shook their head. "It's weird not having him around anymore," said Flack. "I wish that we had Danny and Lindsay working with us again."

"Yeah," Stella agreed. "But wherever Danny is right now, he's probably fine. He's probably happy where he is, happy with his job. I'll try to contact him about the party."

"I hope he's all right," said Hawkes. "I mean, he may have become part of…well, maybe not."

Flack opened his mouth to protest, but Stella considered the thought Hawkes was about to say. He was going to say that Danny may have become part of a _gang_, and she could understand why he would think that. Danny's brother, Louie, had been a part of a gang; and when Danny was younger, his brother had pressured him into helping in a murder. Danny had backed down, and left the scene immediately.

Later in a case, the body was found buried in the Giants Stadium, and Danny had become a main suspect in the case because a cigarette with his DNA on it had been found in the hole with the dead body. But he had only smoked it halfway, while Louie picked it up later and smoked the rest of it. Louie had been the one who put it in the grave at the stadium. When the investigation was almost over, evidence pointed to Sonny Sassone committing the murder.

Just a year ago, Danny had trouble dealing with the death of Ruben; a kid he had took to church in the morning to bless his bicycle, the same day as his murder. Danny had felt like it was his fault that Ruben had died, and he had gotten over obsessed about the case. That had caused him to push Lindsay away from him. But during the time of the evacuation, Lindsay had been pushing Danny away from her.

Stella glanced from Hawkes, who had turned back to examining the victim's clothes, to Flack, who still had his mouth open, thinking of what to say. He closed his mouth, and then walked away from her. She decided to help Hawkes with the examination of the clothes, since she had nothing else to do.

The thought of Danny being in trouble didn't leave her mind. She hoped he was all right, surely he had forgotten about Lindsay and Ruben throughout the past year?

_A/N: Don't worry; we'll all see how Danny is doing in the next chapter. Ruben won't be a big issue like it was in season four in this story. I was going to tell you guys about the House season premiere being on, but it's past seven...depending on where you live it might not have been on yet... But if you want to watch it, and it hasn't been on yet where you live, it is on Fox…and Fringe is on right after it, it's a good show…anyway hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review! :)_


	8. A Little Help From a Friend

_Thank you to my lovely reviewers: iluvcsi4ever, crazypeoplearemypeople, lily moonlight, and Aly! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. And the House season premiere was AWESOME, FANSTATIC, OUTSTANDING…yeah, I could go on, but then we'd never get to the chapter, so here's chapter eight!_

_Chapter Eight: A Little Help From a Friend _

_Chicago, IL_

Danny Messer took a break from taking orders and carrying plates full of food back and forth to the tables. Soon the dinner crowds would come, and he hadn't been able to enjoy one second of time alone since the time he had arrived. He sat down at one of the many tables that filled the room, glad to have time to think, but his time to think was gone within a matter of seconds as one of the employees sat down in the seat across from him. She had worked at the restaurant much longer than he had, of course, since he had been a CSI only the year before. He couldn't stand working without Lindsay at his side, so he left. Even though he still felt miserable, he liked the transitions in jobs; if he had had his old job, memories of Lindsay would come back, too many memories. Memories that he now chose not to remember. But today, he couldn't help thinking about them.

"You're looking a little down today, Danny," the waitress said, noticing his plaintive expression. "What's up?"

Danny looked up at her. "I'm just having a few problems with my girlfriend."

She nodded, but he knew that she would do anything to know more. He suppressed a sigh and then continued on, "She hadn't broken up with me, but we kind of separated ourselves apart after evacuating here." The waitress knew the story of the evacuation and how Danny had given up his job as a CSI. She didn't understand why he would go from being a CSI to working as a waiter, but Danny had his reasons. "I've tried to talk to her, but she's always busy with her job and everything. And just before evacuating, she had always kept herself away from the group, and she would always argue with me when I would try to help her." Danny gave her an expectant look, hoping for some kind of advice. She always had advice.

"Call her. Invite her to lunch. Email her. And don't ask her questions like, 'Why don't you love me anymore' or 'What did I do to make you hate me'. Instead, consider her feelings. Ask her what's troubling her and offer her help _if _she wants it. If she doesn't, let her have some time of her own, to figure out the problem. Maybe you didn't do anything to make her mad. Maybe it's not your fault."

"She has had time," said Danny. "She has had help offered to her. But she ignores me; she doesn't want me to be a part of her life."

"Some people need a lot of time to recover. She is one of those people."

"What does she need to recover from?" asked Danny. "And the hurricane that hit the east coast last year doesn't count."

The waitress shrugged. "Contact her somehow. Then politely ask her what is bothering her. If you don't keep trying, you'll never know."

He knew she was right. If he didn't keep trying, he would never know why Lindsay had been so bothered during that day of the evacuation or why she cried at the end of their flight to Chicago. There were so many things he could ask her, but he decided to keep it simple, and take his friend's advice. "Thanks Courtney. I think I'll talk to her tonight."

She smiled. "Don't mention it, anything to help a friend."

He looked at his watch and suddenly realized something. He worked to three o'clock that day. It was four. He smiled wide and said to Courtney, "My shift ended an hour ago." He stood up from his chair. "I wish you luck with the dinner crowds."

"Yeah," she said. "I'll need lots of it. This restaurant gets way too much business during dinner."

Danny laughed and hurried to the entrance. He turned around as Courtney said something else.

"Good luck with your girlfriend," she said.

Danny nodded. Luck is exactly what he needed. He would send her an email that night, but he didn't know if she would reply back. But he didn't want to be doubtful; he believed that Lindsay would answer back.

He drove home and as soon as he reached his apartment, he hurried to unlock the door and turned on his computer. Once it was turned on, he opened up his email and checked to see if he had gotten anything from anyone. There was an email from Stella, saying there would be a party around Thanksgiving when all the CSI investigators would meet up and chat. She was going to email more about it when she had more information. He considered on going; he wonder if Lindsay would go too.

There was another email from Stella, telling him that she and Mac were married. _Finally, _he thought. He knew Mac and Stella had a thing for each other. If only it could be the same for him and Lindsay.

At the end of her message, it said, "What's up, Danny? I haven't heard from you in ages! Email me back!"

He didn't plan on answering her right away; he didn't feel like talking to her at the moment. Instead, he opened a new email, and began to type a message.

_I need to talk to you…Lindsay, please answer me._

_If you don't like me, I understand. I just want to hear your voice again._

_Danny_

It didn't say much, but he did need to talk to Lindsay. He missed her, he still loved her, but he didn't want her to know that. He just needed someone to talk to, someone who would understand him and listen to him. He hoped Lindsay would be that 'someone'.

_Hope you guys liked it…don't worry; the action will start very soon. The next chapter is about Cuddy and the others at Princeton Plainsboro and it's a pretty long chapter. Cold Case is also in the next chapter. Yay! (And we'll hear from House too, but it'll be a while before he's in the story.) All reviews welcome! :) Next chapter will be up tomorrow morning!_


	9. Can I Know Your Name?

_Thanks to StoryDreamer, crazypeoplearemypeople, iluvcsi4ever, lily moonlight, and Aly for reviewing!_

_Just one thing to say…LONG chapter, but a good one. Enjoy! _

_Chapter Nine: Can I Know Your Name?_

_Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Illinois_

Cuddy entered the hallway, leaving the OR behind her. She had just finished surgery on a patient who had Meniere's disease, which had been the same surgery that had been performed on her a year ago.

She quickened her pace, trying to get to her office before anyone else could stop her to inform her on how a patient was doing or to give her an order. As she passed through the lobby, she glanced at the butch of chairs in the room, hoping to see the person who had signed to her earlier. The woman wasn't there, so she decided that she must have already left.

When she had almost reached her office, Dr. Eric Foreman and Dr. James Wilson stopped her, and she almost knocked into them. She glanced from Foreman to Wilson, then crossed her arms, and gave them a questioning look as if to say, "What do you two want?"

Foreman was about to begin his sentence, but Wilson stopped him. He then took out his cell phone, opened up a new text message, and began to text what he needed from her. He held out the cell phone to her, and she took it from him and began to read.

_Cameron wants 2 talk 2 u, in your office, about a patient._

Cuddy nodded and signed, "Thank you," to them. She quickly added to the text.

_And what I just signed meant 'thank you'._

Foreman and Wilson nodded to her, and then walked away, to attend to another patient. Cuddy headed for her office, just as she had been before. She wondered what patient was giving Cameron problems this time, or if it was something personal, but she couldn't think of anything that could possibly be bothering her.

She opened the door to her office, and immediately Cameron turn towards her. Right when she was going to sign, "What's the problem?" she saw a familiar face. The woman, who had signed to her in the lobby, was now in her office. She smiled to her.

The woman looked at Cameron, and then introduced herself, in sign language. "I'm Lilly Rush," she began. "I work for the Chicago Police Department, solving cold cases. Also, Scotty Valens works with me." Lilly pointed to Scotty, who was sitting in one of the chairs in her office. "I worked a case before with a deaf boy, and I was wondering if I could learn how it is, being deaf."

Cameron looked at her apologetically, thinking she might have been upset because Lilly had mentioned her being deaf. But Cuddy wasn't affected by what the detective had said; she would explain her story to her and tell her everything that had happened. She slowly nodded.

The three took a seat by Scotty. Cuddy took a deep breath, and then began her story, signing away. Cameron sat besides her, interpreting everything she was saying and told Lilly and Scotty.

She told them of how they had evacuated New Jersey, how she had fallen in love with House, and even her disputes with Thirteen. She explained how a few months later of the evacuation, she began to hear ringing in her ears, how she experienced symptoms of vertigo, and how Cameron had diagnosed her, concluding that she had Meniere's disease. She explained how different it was, to wake up in her hospital bed and not hear anything. She left out the part about discovering she had a sister, Lianna Sardo, and how she had learned of a CSI investigator's secret, of being two different people. When she was finished, she let her hands rest on her lap, but she could still feel them shaking. She had signed so much that her hands had begun to hurt.

Lilly had a thoughtful look on her face, as if she was trying to comprehend everything she had just heard. She turned to Cameron and asked_, "So it has been one year that Lisa has been deaf? Meniere's didn't come back after the surgery at all?"_

"_No," _Cameron said, shaking her head. _"The surgery eliminated the vertigo, the symptoms of Meniere's, and restored her balance again. But she has been deaf for one year now."_

Lilly slowly nodded her head. _"Has this Dr. House ever come back to see her?"_

"_No," _replied Cameron. _"He just writes letters to Cuddy." _Even though she couldn't hear, she was certain that Cameron had lowered her voice as she said the next thing. They were talking about House.

"_To tell you the truth, I don't think he's coming back. I think he just writes the letters to make Cuddy feel like someone cares for her. I mean, he just left her there, in her hospital, right after he learned she was deaf. He just walked away, not even saying goodbye."_

Scotty began to talk. _"He'll come back; he wouldn't just leave her if he loved her."_

Cuddy smiled. She had just lip read what he had said, and she was happy for his reassurance. She believed House would come back too; after all, he had said what he was doing would benefit the both of them.

Scotty must have seen her smile. He tried to ask her a question, the best he could, without knowing any sign language. _"How is it?" _he asked. _"How is it being deaf, not being able to hear anything?"_

Cameron was going to answer for her, but Cuddy stopped her. This question had been for her, and she wanted to answer it, not by signing, but actually talking. She tried to form her sentence, as best as she could. "I hear," she explained, "the world through my eyes. I don't need…" She stopped, and then cleared her throat. "…to hear through my ears. I'm perfectly fine with who I am."

"_It's nice to hear her voice again," _said Cameron. She turned to Cuddy and signed, "That was amazing."

Cuddy shrugged. She had said something she hadn't even heard, was it really that extraordinary? She had just spoken something; people do that all the time…normal people, who could hear. She looked down at her hands, still slightly shaking. Then she looked up at Scotty, who had asked her the question how it was like being deaf. Maybe she wasn't satisfied with who she was.

"_Has she ever though about getting a cochlear implanted?" _asked Lilly.

Cuddy shook her head immediately. "No!" she cried out. Then, she signed, "Never would I get that. I'm fine with who I am! I don't need to hear again; I don't need a cochlear implant."

She got up from her seat, and walked over to her desk. Saying she needed a cochlear implant, it made her feel like she was disabled. It was like not being able to hear made her incapable of being able to do anything. She was perfectly fine with who she was, at least, that's what she had thought...

"_I'm sorry," _Lilly apologized. _"I didn't realize how much that bothered her…"_

"_It's okay," _said Cameron. _"See, most patients who get the surgery and have Meniere's; the symptoms of vertigo have a chance of coming back. Cuddy was lucky not to have that happen to her. Since she had had the disease, and she still might have it slightly; she might not make a good candidate for the implant. But I'm sure it would help her. It is her choice, though, if she wants it or not."_

Lilly quickly glanced at Cuddy, and then looked at Cameron. _"Have you ever felt…like wish that Cuddy hadn't become deaf? I know it sounds like a personal question, but I was just wondering if having to interpret things to her and the things she says to others become annoying for you?"_

Cameron looked at Cuddy for a while, and then slowly shook her head. _"Sometimes I just wish I wasn't the only one who looked out for her. I've had plans to get married, but with hospital life and having to help Cuddy it's just, it makes things difficult." _She turned to Scotty. _"Is your friend in the ICU, for lung cancer?"_

Scotty nodded.

"_I wish him good luck," _said Cameron_. _She turned back to Lilly._ "I think it's a good time for you two to be leaving. We should give Cuddy some time alone."_

Lilly and Scotty immediately stood up. _"It was nice meeting you, Dr. Cameron." _She shook hands with Cameron, and then she and Scotty left the room. Cuddy turned to look behind her, seeing that they had left. Cameron was still standing by the doorway.

"Leave," Cuddy signed. "Leave now."

Cameron obeyed her order and left her office. When Cuddy was sure she was gone and out of sight, she took a seat at her desk, and grabbed House's letter, reading it again. Tears filled her eyes, and her sobs were only silent to her. She didn't care if she couldn't hear anything, she just wanted House to come back, to come back and tell her everything was going to be all right.

Outside the Hospital, Nighttime

The cold breeze blew through her hair. She loved the night; it was the time when the world would go to sleep, making everything calm and quiet in the streets. Unfortunately, the streets of Chicago would still be full of noise, even late at night. The fortunate thing for her was that she didn't have to hear any of it, since she couldn't hear the sounds at all. But sometimes she still wished she could hear the sounds of the night. The whole world didn't go to sleep during the night; the hospital was still busy throughout the evening. She would be working late, since she was administrator of the hospital.

She was thinking of everything that had happened to her, not only in the past year, but in all of her life. She was so desperate to know where House was and if he would ever come back to Chicago. And she was considering the thought of hearing again, if getting a cochlear implant would be a good choice. But something told her that life would be too different again; being deaf had given her a new perspective of the world.

Lilly, the woman she had met earlier in the day, she wondered if she had given her too much information, if having her know how she felt was a good thing. She thought about Scotty, the other detective, who hadn't said much to her. But what he had asked was something she wanted to answer; Lilly's questions were a bit personal. And whatever she had asked Cameron when she had walked over to her desk, she wondered if those questions had been personal too.

She thought about Cameron, of how much she had supported her through the year. She wondered if she felt like she had had too much of interpreting things for her; she wondered if Cameron wanted to have a break from that. But she knew Cameron would have said something; she would have explained her feelings to her.

She stared out into the distance of the night sky. The stars shone brightly, and for the first time she had been in Chicago, she felt like everything was normal, like everything was the way it used to be.

Through the windows, Cameron was sitting in a chair in the break room, watching Cuddy outside. When she heard an opening of a door, she immediately turned around and gasped. The person who had come into the room was Chase. "Chase!" she whispered. "You have to be quieter than that!"

"Sorry," he quickly apologized. He sat down in a chair next to her. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be heading home?"

"I know I should be," said Cameron. "It's… it's just…"

"…Cuddy," Chase finished for her. "Don't you think you should stop worrying about her for one second and maybe spend a little time with me?"

Cameron gave him an angry look. "What are you talking about? I do spend time with you."

"Cuddy's fine," said Chase. "You've been worrying so much about her, interpreting things for her, that you don't get one minute to do something without thinking about her. But you need to accept the fact that she'll be fine one minute without your help."

"Stop being so insensitive, Chase," said Cameron. "You are just mad that we haven't been able to get married because of work and taking care of her."

"Maybe I am," said Chase. "Someone else can take care of her, it's not like she needs help with eating breakfast!"

"Well, no one else in this hospital knows sign language!" exclaimed Cameron. She glanced at the window to make sure Cuddy hadn't seen her there with Chase. She lowered her voice. "I was the only one who came to help her after that surgery. House left, you left, and everyone left. Everyone left me alone to take care of her."

Chase shook his head. "You're forgetting one person," he said. "Thirteen knows sign language, Cuddy taught it to her. Maybe Thirteen can help Cuddy; help her interpret things, just so you don't feel you have the pressure to do it."

Cameron took her eyes off the window and looked at Chase. She couldn't say anything; she knew he was right. Thirteen might have hated Cuddy's guts before, but now, she may be able to help her. "We should leave Cuddy alone," whispered Chase. "We should be going home."

"Okay," Cameron replied in a weak voice. "Let's go."

Chase stood up first, then took Cameron's hand and helped her up from the chair. She took one last look at Cuddy, and then walked with Chase out of the room.

Later in the Evening, Cuddy's Office

Cuddy stopped typing, leaned back in her chair, and glanced at the email she had just completed. She had taken House's advice; she only told him of how she was doing, how everything was going at the hospital, and not asked any questions. She would send it right when she left work, either waiting for his reply in an email or through a letter. She would always email House, since he didn't ever leave a return address. Wherever he was, he wanted to keep it a secret.

When she turned to look away from her computer, she saw Thirteen enter the room. She took her time, closing the door slowly, so that she wouldn't make noise. Thirteen must have forgotten that she couldn't hear anything, or she just liked to do things quietly.

Once Thirteen had taken a seat across from Cuddy, she signed, "You know I can't hear you make any noise, right?"

Thirteen nodded. She then signed, "Of course I know that. Why?"

"You looked as if you were trying to close the door quietly, so I couldn't hear you come in," Cuddy signed.

Thirteen opened her mouth in a sigh, as if to say, "Oh." Then she looked at Cuddy.

"So, what are you here for?" Cuddy signed.

"I was just about to leave and I thought I'd come see how you were doing," signed Thirteen. "You've been working hard all day. Don't you think you should be heading home?"

Cuddy nodded. "I'll be leaving soon," she signed.

Thirteen looked behind her, as if she thought someone had followed her into the room. She turned back to Cuddy and signed, "Where's Cameron?"

Cuddy shrugged. "She probably left," she signed. She watched as Thirteen stared blankly around the room. She wondered if she had really come to see how she was doing or if someone had sent her here. She knocked on her desk to get Thirteen's attention. "Did Cameron send you here?"

"No," she quickly signed back. "I just wanted to stop by before I left, honestly, that's the truth."

"Well, I'm doing fine," signed Cuddy. "There's nothing I need help with right now, so you can leave and go home. I'm not going to be here much longer anyway."

Thirteen immediately nodded and stood up. She was obviously waiting for Cuddy's permission to leave the hospital. She began to walk to the door, when a thought came to her mind. She knocked on her desk again, and Thirteen turned around to look at her.

"By any chance, can you tell me your name?" Cuddy signed.

Thirteen smiled. "I don't know, can I?" she signed. She then opened the door and left the office. Cuddy shook her head and then turned back to reread the email.

_Dear Greg,_

_So you want to know about me? Well, things were going okay, for the most of this past year, until today. First, a patient didn't want me to treat her, because she couldn't accept the fact that I was deaf…(or in her case, "death.") Then, a Chicagoan detective came to talk to me about being deaf, after she saw me in the lobby, signing away to a nurse. She had dealt with a case before that had involved a deaf kid, and wanted to know more about how it was like to be deaf._

_Her partner, another detective that works for Chicago PD, actually asked me the question, how it was, not being able to hear anything. I told him that I heard the world through my eyes, that I was fine with who I was. But Greg, I don't think I like who I am anymore. And that's what made me come to this difficult choice: Should I get a cochlear implant, so I can hear again? (Oops, a question let me restate that: I'm thinking about getting a cochlear implant, so I can hear again.)_

_I don't want to hear again, but then again, I do. If I get a cochlear implant, I'll have to learn how to hear again, it will be like having to start over again, when I've gotten used to the idea of being deaf. And with the implant, I'll feel like I am disabled, like I needed it so I could be a normal person and communicate with people without having to sign to them. _

_I guess I'm stuck between wanting to hear and not hearing. I don't know what's best, and I'm so confused on everything. I like my life the way it is, but I still wonder how it would have been, if I had never gotten Meniere's, if we had never had to evacuate New Jersey. Greg, I want you to come back, I want to hear your voice again. And I want you to hear my voice too, so I think I've come to my decision. I think…just think right now…that I will get a cochlear implant, if I'm a good candidate for it. _

_Please support my decision, please. And I will miss you, for I have missed you for all these days that have gone by. And I love you with all my heart._

_Lisa_

After she was done reading it, she added to the letter, below her name.

_P.S. We have to figure out what Thirteen's real name is…even after the evacuation of the storm, she still hasn't told me. I even asked her if I could know her name, and she replied, "I don't know, can you?" and walked out of my office…it's odd that she won't tell anyone what her real name is._

She quickly sent the email, got up from her chair, and turned off the lights. She left the office, finally glad to go home and fall into a peaceful sleep.

_A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it! I know it was kinda long, but just think…it is building up to the action! Next chapter will have a little more action in it than the other chapters have…More people may know about Lindsay's double identity than Samantha thinks…the Day after Tomorrow will just start beginning for everyone…so the next chapter will be about Lindsay and Samantha and also some appearances by Mac, Stella, Danny, and…Miami is making its way into the story guys! Horatio will be in the next chapter too! And it's a nice long chapter too! Many things to look forward to! :)_

_And...more questions are yet to be solved! What is Thirteen's real name? (I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you do know Thirteen's name, maybe you were looking up spoilers for House season five, maybe not, please, please don't mention the name in your reviews! So don't tell anyone if you know! Thanks!) Where is House? Will he ever come back? And will Cuddy decide to get a cochlear implant? Thanks for the reviews and please continue reviewing! :)_


	10. The Website

_Thanks to iluvcsi4ever, Aly, lily moonlight, and crazypeoplearemypeople for reviewing! I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter, even though it was a long read. This chapter is also long, and I'll be posting another chapter later tonight, since it was supposed to go with this one and it's really short. Enjoy!_

_Chapter Ten: The Website_

_FBI Department, Illinois_

The moon shone magnificently in the sky. The stars shined their brightest, looking almost as magnificent as the moon. All was dark in her office, expect for the light of her computer screen. The sound of high heels clanking down the hallway startled her. She turned around to see Samantha come into the dark office. "Hey," she called.

"Hey, what's with all the darkness in room?" questioned Samantha.

She shook her head and turned back to the computer. A news alert flashed across her screen.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier, with the letter and everything," Samantha apologized. "Paige, are you mad at me?"

Lindsay looked at Sam. "No, I'm not mad at you at all. That letter was just surprising. I didn't realize that Beth was so angry with me…or Paige and Adisa. The letter is not bothering me anymore, so I won't start crying if that's what you're worried about."

Samantha pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. She saw the news alert flashing at the bottom of the computer screen. "Are you going to look at that?"

"That's actually what I was going to do," said Lindsay. She clicked on it. She explained what it was about before Samantha could ask. "I've been getting these messages since the time I began working here, a year ago. It's about New York, the aftermath of the storm and how everything is."

_New York City_

_As of October 25, 2009, New York City has been officially added to the list of cities that are underwater. When Hurricane Arthur hit, on March 27, 2008, floods had destroyed the city completely. People are trying the best they can to rebuild the city, but it is hard with flood waters so high. A team of expert storm chasers went to see how New York City had survived for the last year. With all the rain that had fallen in this last year, the city and some of the cities in east coast near the ocean are underwater. The crew of storm chasers couldn't even land the plane in the city. They had to stay in midair to see the scene of New York City. It will be a difficult task to clear the water away from the city, but we will keep trying. We won't give up._

When Lindsay was finished reading the article, she turned to Sam. "The Manhattan area of New York is almost underwater, as is some parts of some states that border the Atlantic Ocean."

"How could that be possible?" asked Sam. "Never in history has a storm been that powerful."

"There were more storms and rain after the hurricane," said Lindsay. "That helped." She remembered when she had been in the New York Crime Lab, preparing for the hurricane. The rest of the CSI team hadn't believed the storm would literally put the entire area of New York City underwater. She, on the other hand, had disagreed with them completely. She knew the hurricane would be bad. She knew New York City would become the site of 'The Day after Tomorrow' and get put underwater.

"I can't believe this," said Samantha. "The place where I grew up is now almost underwater. It's a surprise for sure. No one would have expected that to happen."

Lindsay nodded. She didn't feel that she had lost the most important thing in her life. She had grown up in Montana, or at least Lindsay Monroe had. Paige Hobson was the one who had grown up in New York City. Lindsay had just come to New York for the job as a CSI investigator.

Sam tapped her shoulder. "Are you going to fall asleep in front of your computer?" she asked.

"No, no," replied Lindsay, opening her eyes only after she realized that she had closed them. "I'm just going to get a few things together and head home. I'll see you tomorrow Sam."

She nodded and got up from her chair. Before leaving the room, she called, "Goodnight Paige."

"Goodnight," Lindsay called back.

She opened up a new window on her computer and typed in the website for the Weather Channel. They hadn't been the most reliable for the last storm that had hit New York, but it had rained earlier in the day, and she wanted to see if there was more rain to come. When she saw the weather report, she gasped.

There was a storm system coming from the west, heading straight for Chicago. They were under a tornado watch, since the storms had the possibility of producing thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes. She clicked around on the website and realized that the weather all over the US was whacked out. There was snow falling in Nevada, hurricanes were forming all over in Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and some of the states on the east coast were almost underwater. Even the continents of Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America were experiencing chaotic weather. She had thought that a hurricane hitting the state of New York was odd, but this was out of the ordinary.

She had to warn the others; she would tell Sam first. When she was going to turn off the computer, an ad popped up. But she realized that it wasn't an ad; it was a website. She was going to exit out of the website, but then she took a closer look at the site when she realized it was about her. She scrolled down, to read everything.

It was about her, being a CSI investigator, and then leaving the forensics department to work with the FBI because of an unexpected personal issue. It told about cases she had worked recently with the FBI and of a few important cases she worked on while being a CSI investigator. She didn't know how the person who had made this website had gotten all this information on her, but she was glad that there was nothing about her being two different people or anything about Paige Hobson. But at the very bottom of the website, in bold letters, was the message she wasn't expecting.

**_I know your true identity, Lindsay Monroe._**

How did that person even know her? How could the person possibly know her true identity? Samantha wouldn't do this to her, and she highly doubted that Jack would have made the website. She knew that Mac wouldn't have done it either, he had promised to keep it a secret. Maybe someone had found her signature on the bathroom stall back at the New York Crime Lab, before the whole city went under water. But everyone was too busy evacuating that day to have found it…

Then she remembered the other person she had told about her secret. Lisa Cuddy, who now worked as a doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She remembered last year, a few months after the evacuation of the hurricane; Samantha had come to tell her about what had happened to the doctor.

_Samantha walked into Lindsay's office. Lindsay looked up, seeing that she was holding a cell phone in her hands. "Remember that doctor, Lisa?"_

_Lindsay nodded. "Yeah, were you just on the phone with her?" _

"_Actually, I was on the phone with one of the doctors that work with her," said Samantha. "Lisa wouldn't be able to answer the phone; she wouldn't hear me."_

_Lindsay gave her a puzzled look. "She wouldn't hear you?"_

_Sam sighed. "She was diagnosed with Meniere's disease, which affects hearing and balance. There was a surgery that would get rid of the symptoms of the disease, and she decided to get it. But the unfortunate thing was that after she got that surgery, she became deaf."_

"_So you're saying she can't hear anything anymore?" questioned Lindsay._

"_Yeah," said Samantha. "But what she did was right. If she had to live with those symptoms of the disease for the rest of her life, she probably wouldn't be able to do anything with her life. She sounds like she's doing okay now, but I don't think you'll be able to keep in contact with her on the Paige Hobson case. It's probably best that she doesn't have that added pressure of trying to help with the case."_

"_I understand," said Lindsay. "I haven't really talked to her in a while anyway." She turned to look out the window._

"_Do you want to know what she said before she got that surgery?" asked Samantha._

_Lindsay looked back at Sam. _

"_She said, 'Tell Paige that I wish her good luck'," replied Samantha. "She wanted to wish you good luck on your case."_

"_I'm glad we told her," said Lindsay. "She really did care." _

_Samantha nodded and then walked away to answer another call. Lindsay turned back to the window, wishing to see how Lisa was doing._

Lisa couldn't have told anyone about her; she hadn't even talked to her in the past year. She had probably forgotten about her now. And if she were still a doctor, she would be way too busy to even think about making a website. So this left her with two suspects: Danny and Stella.

Danny wanted so badly for her to love him, but she refused. He may have made the website because he was mad at her, but she didn't know how he would have known that she had two different identities. He might be mad at her, but she knew he would still like her enough to not do anything like this to her.

So that left Stella. She had suspected her of knowing something about her secret; Stella had always been suspicious on what had made Lindsay cry the whole week after her disappearance and on why she had gone to work with the FBI. When she had told Mac about her signing her name on the bathroom stall that day of the evacuation, Stella had come out of nowhere when she was rushing out of the break room with Mac because of a window breaking. She wondered if Stella had heard the conversation and knew that she was not only Lindsay Monroe, but Paige Hobson. Stella had to have made the website, trying to pressure her to giving her more information.

There was a part of her that told her that Stella would never do anything like that. Even if she did know, she would give Lindsay her privacy, and not bother to ask her about the case. But the only way she was going to find out was by asking Stella herself.

She was able to find Samantha, who was about to leave the building, and quickly showed her the website. Then they headed to the car, Samantha driving, and drove off to the Chicago Crime Lab, hoping both Mac and Stella would still be there.

Lindsay glanced at the clock, which said it was exactly eleven. She remembered her long shifts at the New York Crime Lab and knew Mac and Stella would still be there. They probably worked late shifts too, and knowing them, they would help out at the lab, even if it was late at night. She turned to stare out the window, glancing at the tall buildings they passed. She had passed through Chicago a millions of times before, but tonight, something felt different. She felt like she had to remember every building, every little detail of the city they drove through, because soon, she thought everything would slip away.

As they came to a stop light, Sam turned to look at her. "You don't think she made that website, do you?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Lindsay. "She's the only person I know that would have found out, from Mac, or just from eavesdropping."

The light turned green, and Samantha turned to look at the road again, driving pass the light. "Mac promised he wouldn't tell anyone," she said.

"Yeah, well, Mac loves Stella, so he would tell her anything," Lindsay said rudely.

"The thing is that he _promised_," said Sam. "I know Mac would keep a secret, especially for one of his CSI investigators."

"You don't understand," Lindsay protested. "The day of the evacuation, last year, I was talking in the break room with Mac, about signing Paige Hobson on the bathroom stall. Right when that window broke, and we ran out of the break room, _she_ was there. _She_ had appeared out of nowhere, asking if we were okay. I knew she was listening to our conversation, and I had a feeling she was listening in on that phone call when I was talking to you the very same day."

"You don't know for a fact that Stella was listening to your conversation," said Samantha. "What had she been doing before she appeared outside of the break room?"

"Evacuating people out of the crime lab," replied Lindsay. "But…"

"But, that doesn't mean she was listening to your conversation," said Samantha. "Right when that window broke, she may have been running down the hall, trying to find you."

"She didn't appear to be running from somewhere when I saw her," said Lindsay. "She looked as if she had just been standing there, waiting for something to happen."

"I know Stella wouldn't do that to you, even if she did know your secret," said Samantha.

"Do you know?" questioned Lindsay. "Just because she was a missing person, doesn't make her incapable of making that website. I worked with Stella longer than you ever had, and I know her personality better than you! I know Stella would make that website, just so I would crack and tell her everything about my double identity!"

"Stella may have made the website, she may have not," said Samantha. "But what I'm trying to tell you is that you can't go and yell at her that she made this website about you, when we get to the crime lab. She may have not made the website, and then she would know about Paige Hobson, if you showed her the website. So it's best to keep it a secret, until we have proof that she made it."

Lindsay shrugged and turned to look out the window again. The website hadn't said anything about Paige Hobson, but it had stated that whoever made it, knew her true identity. Without looking at Sam, she asked, "Do you think whoever made that website actually knows my true identity?"

"No," replied Samantha, keeping her eyes on the road. "I think they said that, just to make you afraid."

"But they have to know that I have two different identities," said Lindsay. "They wouldn't have mentioned that they knew my true identity, if they didn't."

Sam nodded. "They may know that, but they don't know everything we know. We'll figure out who made this website; we'll figure out your identity. It's just going to take time, but I promise we'll figure everything out in the end."

Lindsay opened her mouth to protest, but quickly closed it, and turned back to the window. Samantha had promised many things, but none of those promises seemed to have been fulfilled yet. She had promised that she'd figure out her true identity last year, and now she was promising it again. She always said everything would take time, but Lindsay thought that was her way of saying that she would never figure out her identity. But Lindsay didn't believe that; she knew Samantha would figure out her identity, and it would take time. She just had to be patient.

As the Chicago Crime Lab came into view on the right, Samantha quickly found a place to park. Then they got out of the car, slamming the doors shut. They found the entrance to the lab quickly, and when they entered inside, memories flooded back to Lindsay. She remembered all the cases she had dealt with, all the tests she had performed in the lab, and all of the arrests she had made. She remembered Danny, working by her side. She thought about Danny, wondering where he was, and how he was doing.

They soon found Mac and Stella, working intently on paperwork at their desks. Stella looked up when she saw them approached and tapped Mac on the shoulder to get his attention. She then pointed to Lindsay and Samantha. Mac nodded, and with that, Stella ran over to them.

"Lindsay!" she exclaimed joyfully, running over to hug her. Then, she stepped away, and examined Lindsay's face. "I love what you did with your hair," she said. "It looks nice on you."

Lindsay grabbed a strand of hair and looked at it. "Really?" she asked. "I mean, it's not that much different, only a little longer and darker colored brown…" She had almost forgotten that her hair had been a lighter brunette, cut short, just last year. Now her hair was straight, the length to her shoulders, and a darker brunette. She tend to look a little more like Paige, maybe it wasn't a good idea to have her hair that way…

"Yes, it's really nice," said Stella. She turned to Samantha. "It's nice to see you again, Samantha." She put out her hand.

Sam shook her hand. "It's nice to see you too. How are things going for you?" Their meeting didn't seem exactly cheerful; Stella had argued a lot with Sam when they were waiting for their flight to arrive at LaGuardia Airport back in 2008.

Stella smiled immensely. She signaled for Mac to come to her side. "Lindsay, I haven't told you this in any of the phone calls to you, and I haven't told you anything about this either, Samantha." She glanced at Mac, and then began to speak again. "Mac and I…we're married."

Lindsay clapped. "Well, congratulations to you two. I knew you would get married some time or later…you two always had that connection."

"I'm happy for you two," said Samantha. "When were working your case, Mac really showed his feelings for you."

Mac smiled at that. "I love Stella," he said, and leaned into kiss her on the cheek.

"Hey, none of that mushy gushy stuff right now, okay?" said Sam. "Lindsay didn't just come in the middle of the night to see you two together."

Stella turned to look at Lindsay, inquisitively. Lindsay wondered if she thought she was going to tell her about Paige Hobson. But she ignored that thought and began to tell Mac and Stella her news. "You remember the hurricane that hit New York? Well, today it was officially reported that the city of New York is underwater."

Stella almost literally fell in her chair and began to cry. "New York," she whispered. "I grew up in the orphanage there, studied at the police academy there, and became a CSI there…found love there…" She turned to look at Mac, like she knew he would have the answer to her next question. "How could this have happened, Mac?"

Mac turned to look at Lindsay. Yes, she did know the answer to why New York City was underwater, so she began to explain. "A lot of storms had hit New York after the hurricane and caused the city to flood. But that leads me to my next story."

Stella looked up, tears in her eyes. "And what is your next story about?"

This time, Sam answered for her. "The weather all over the United States is messed up. It's snowing in the desert, hurricanes are forming madly in the Atlantic and Pacific, and there are thunderstorms heading for Chicago, all over the Midwest, and they have a chance of producing tornadoes."

Stella wiped the tears from her eyes and turned in her chair towards the computer. She typed a few things into the computer, clicked around on the Weather Channel website, and then looked around at other news website, to make sure that the story wasn't a lie. She turned around in her chair again, and glanced from Mac, to Lindsay, to Samantha. "We need to warn Adam and Sid about this," she explained. "We should also call Horatio, to warn him of the hurricanes heading for the state of Florida."

"Horatio?" questioned Lindsay. "Wait, the guy from Miami PD? Why should we call him? Don't you think he would know about these hurricanes and already be evacuating?"

"No one said anything about New York City being under water," Stella pointed out.

"And where are we going to evacuate to?" questioned Sam.

The question was ignored, and instead, they walked over to a table. Stella already had her cell phone in her hand, dialing Adam's number. The others waited silently, hoping for an answer so they could warn the others.

The first conversation was fast. Stella told Adam about the weather being all screwed up, and he had said, "No wonder, I woke up to snow falling outside. And in Arizona, that's not typical at all. Like I said, I come from Phoenix, and when the temperature drops to eighty five degrees, that's cold!"

Stella had laughed at that comment, and then quickly said her goodbyes to him. The next call with Sid was again, fast. Sid didn't say much, just listened, so Stella quickly explained to him of what had happened and then said goodbye. But when she called Horatio, the call lasted longer than the team had expected.

"Horatio Caine," a voice answered on the other line.

"Horatio, this is Detective Taylor from the Chicago Crime Lab," replied Stella.

"You and Mac must have gotten married," Horatio said. "This doesn't sound like Mac, it sounds like Stella Bonasera. And you moved to Chicago?"

"Actually, we had to evacuate to Chicago after Hurricane Arthur hit New York City," explained Stella.

"And New York City is underwater?" asked Horatio.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I just found out, from CSI Calleigh Duquesne," said Horatio. "Anyway, what do you have to tell me Stella?"

"The weather around the US is messed up," explained Stella. "There's snow falling in the deserts, thunderstorms that are going to hit us some time tonight, and there are hurricanes heading for Miami, Horatio. I thought I'd tell you, incase you didn't know."

"Yes, yes, we do know," said Horatio. "We're evacuating immediately in the morning. Thank you for telling me that, Stella. But, may I ask for a suggestion on where to go?"

Stella had set the phone on speaker now. She hesitated. "Horatio, I'm not exactly sure on where to go," she said. "Not only is the US facing this problem, but the whole world is facing this weather outbreak. Right now, I'm not sure there's a place that's safe enough to evacuate to."

Lindsay edged closer to the phone. "Montana," she said. "That's a safe place. Out of all the states, Montana has been least affected by the storm."

"Thank you for the suggestion," said Horatio. He lowered his voice as he told CSI investigator Duquesne his news, "Calleigh, get a flight booked for Montana." He turned to the phone again. "Was that one of your investigators' ideas?"

Stella was going to answer, when Lindsay replied, "Special Agent Lindsay Monroe, but I used to be a CSI investigator. I lived in Montana once, it's a great place, and it hasn't been affected by this weather mess up. So I thought that would be a good idea."

Samantha gave Lindsay a warning look, as if she had said too much about herself. But she hadn't mentioned anything about Paige Hobson, so Horatio wouldn't have a clue about her double identity.

"Thank you Lindsay Monroe," he said. "Thank you also, Stella. And I wish you all good luck in Chicago. Bye."

"So, do you think that's where we should evacuate to?" asked Samantha.

"Evacuate?" Stella questioned as she leaned back in her chair. "Thunderstorms are hitting the Chicago area, and we haven't experienced anything bad to make us have to evacuate. This is nothing like what we faced in New York."

"The thunderstorms may produce tornadoes, and who knows how powerful they may be!" exclaimed Lindsay. "We must evacuate as soon as possible!"

"Lindsay, the possibility of a tornado hitting the city is pretty slim," said Mac. "I think we should all just go home, and rest. Then, tomorrow, we can talk about this and see if we should stay in Chicago."

Lindsay wanted to protest, saying, "It's not impossible for a tornado to hit the city," but decided Mac was right. Unless the storms got as bad as the hurricane that hit New York the past year, then it would be better just to go home and rest. They would make their decision tomorrow, depending on how the weather played out if they should evacuate to Montana, or wherever, or if they should stay in Chicago. But Lindsay still had to show Mac the website, even if she had suspicions on if Stella had made it.

While Stella went to her office, Lindsay quickly ran over to Mac and told him about the website. She didn't mention that she thought Stella had made it, but asked him if he had an idea of who might have made it. He didn't know, he said he hadn't told anyone anything about her being both Lindsay Monroe and Paige Hobson. So she knew that if Stella had made the website, she hadn't found out about Paige Hobson from Mac. She knew Mac wouldn't lie about that.

After she was finished showing Mac the website, she was reminded of something. She had gotten an email from someone back at work. And then the thought of where Danny was came to her mind. She wondered if Danny had been the one who had emailed her.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number, a number she hadn't dialed in her phone for the past year, but she still remembered it by heart.

"Hello?" a voice asked.

"Danny?" asked Lindsay.

"Montana!" exclaimed Danny. "I mean, Lindsay, sorry, it's just, I haven't talked to you in such a long time! So, how are things going for you?"

"Well," replied Lindsay. "Danny, I'd love to stay and chat with you, but I have to tell you something important."

"What's the news?" asked Danny.

"Well, I don't know if you've found out already, but New York City is underwater," said Lindsay.

"What?" Danny questioned. "How could that…"

"And the weather around the whole world is messed up," said Lindsay. "Just search it online, you'll find a butch of things on it. But here, in Chicago, there are going to be storms that will hit tonight, and could produce tornadoes, hail, and flooding, stuff like that."

"So you're saying that this could be like what happened in New York last year?" asked Danny.

"Yeah," replied Lindsay. "Mac, Stella, and Sam don't believe we should evacuate tonight. But Danny, I think something bad is going to happen, and I don't think it's safe to stay in Chicago. I'll tell you what I told Horatio, go to Montana, it's the only place that hasn't been affected by this weather pattern. I want you to be safe."

"Montana," whispered Danny. "Montana, I want you to be safe too. Come with me."

"Danny, what did I tell you about calling me that?" questioned Lindsay. "I know I come from there, and like the 49ers, but seriously with the name…whatever. Just forget I even said that. No, I need to stay here to help the others…I'll be fine, I promise you that. I know the weather isn't that bad now, but it's going to get worse tonight. Go to Montana and safe yourself, please Danny."

"Are you telling me that because you like me?" questioned Danny.

"Be serious about this!" Lindsay scoffed. "I don't like you, okay? I just want you to evacuate before this storm gets worse…"

"Why call me then, and not Flack, or Hawkes, or Sid…?"

"Stella and Mac will have already warned them," said Lindsay. "But, Danny, where are you? I didn't see you in the crime lab at all."

"So that's where you are?" asked Danny. "Well, Lindsay, there's something I have to tell you too."

"What is it?" asked Lindsay.

"I don't work as a CSI anymore," said Danny.

"What?" Lindsay questioned. "What do you do now?"

"I work shifts as a waiter," replied Danny.

"Daniel Messer, don't tell me that the only reason you quit your job as a CSI was because I wasn't going to be working with you?" questioned Lindsay.

"Then, I won't tell you," said Danny, and then he hung up.

Lindsay stared at the phone in horror. Had Danny really quit his job as a CSI because she wouldn't work with him? Did he really still have feelings for her? And most importantly, what had become of him after the last year?

Lindsay decided to ignore the questions that filled her mind, and she left the crime lab. Samantha had to drive her back to the FBI department building, and then she got in her own car, to drive home to her apartment. When she arrived home, the heavy rains had already started to fall.

_Another long chapter, I'm going to post the next one today too, since it was supposed to be a part of this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it. The action and suspense in coming back into the story soon!_


	11. Say Goodbye

_This is really short…it doesn't even make a page…but a fast read, hope you enjoy it!_

_Chapter Eleven: Say Goodbye_

_Miami Crime Lab, Florida_

Horatio put his cell phone down on the lab table. He was faced with a questioning stare from Calleigh. "Montana?" she asked. "Do you have a girlfriend down in Chicago that I don't know about?"

"No," replied Horatio. "What I do have is words, proof that Montana is a safe place to evacuate to."

"I'm a sun and beach type of woman," said Calleigh. "There isn't a single beach in Montana. Plus, the weather can be cold there."

"In time of emergency," said Horatio, as he typed into the computer, "a place with cold weather and no beaches will have to do. Lindsay, who spoke to me, said that of all the states in the US, Montana has been least affected by this storm."

"This storm?" questioned Calleigh. "Horatio, hurricanes can't reach Montana."

"We're not the only state facing dreadful weather," said Horatio. He turned the computer monitor to Calleigh, so she could see what he was talking about. "Now, I would get everything you need and throw it into a suitcase tonight, so you're ready to leave right away in the morning. The hurricanes hitting Florida are expected to make landfall in forty eight hours." He took his cell phone from the lab table, turned away from Calleigh, and walked out of the lab, leaving her alone to read about the article Horatio had left for her on the computer.

"Oh my god," Calleigh suddenly said aloud when she had finished reading the article. Horatio had been right; Florida wasn't the only state facing dreadful weather. Everywhere around the world was facing mixtures of hurricanes, tornadoes, and snows, in places where the weather didn't normally act like that. She turned to look at the clock, which said it was twelve thirty. She would have normally gone home earlier than twelve, but she had been discussing with the other CSI investigators on where to go and had been busy getting ready to evacuate.

She got up from her seat, shut down the computer, and walked over to the door. She turned to take one last look of the lab, where she had worked for so many years of her life. She sighed, wishing everything was normal, and she was going home after solving a murder case instead of leaving the lab forever to evacuate somewhere safe. She turned off the lights, and walked out the door, saying goodbye to the place she loved.

_The next chapter is about Stella and Mac, but not all is going to be peaceful…Reviews please! _


	12. Tornado

_Thanks to lily moonlight and Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last two chapters!_

_Chapter Twelve: Tornado_

_Mac and Stella Taylor's Apartment_

Rain fell outside, knocking on the windows of the apartment. Thunder sounded in the distance, awaking the sleeping of Chicago. Lighting pierced the sky, making the night sky light up like it was daytime. Lindsay's weather report had turned to be partly right; the tornadoes and hail hadn't hit Chicago, or at least not yet.

It was two in the morning, and Mac Taylor was still up, reading a book. His wife, Stella, was standing besides the window that led to a glass door to their balcony. She had been standing there for a long time now, watching the storm that devastated the night. Mac glanced over to her, starting to get apprehensive if she was all right, since she hadn't moved from her spot for over an hour. He closed his book, got up from his chair, and called to her. "Stella?"

She turned around at the sound of her name. "Yes?" she asked.

He walked over to her. "You know, you shouldn't get too worried about this storm. Storms like this hit Chicago all the time."

"I understand Mac," she said. "But what Lindsay said about New York City being under water, and then all the weather reports around the country, it's hard not to worry. Something is bound to happen."

Mac took her hand and pulled her into a hug. She was glad for the comfort because she immediately put her arms around him. She put her head on his shoulder, softly crying to herself. He knew how hard it was for her, to lose New York City, the place where she had lived most of her life. He wasn't as affected by it, he did miss New York City, but he knew there was nothing that could be done to clear the water away from the city. Chicago had been his first home, so he still had something he could remember.

He reached over to the remote, turning on the radio for peaceful music, something that would help Stella push the thought of never seeing New York City again out of her mind. She looked up at him, tears still rolling down her cheeks, but there was a sparkle of something in her eyes that wasn't sadness. Her eyes showed the sign of gratitude.

"Thank you," she whispered, and again lowered her head to rest it on Mac's shoulder. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

A new song on the radio was beginning. It was titled, "Have No Fear," by Bird York. The song filled the room, making the sound of the thunder of the storm seem distant. The rain seemed to lighten to a soft padding on the window. They swayed to the music.

_Have no fear, in your heart_

_Though you feel you've been broken and lost_

_There's a world where we will meet up again_

_There's a place that mends your hurt and takes you in_

Stella light out a cry. "Mac," she whispered. "I don't want to have fear, but it's so hard, when everything you know seems to all slip away. But Mac, you've never left my side, and I thank you for that."

"And I won't leave your side now," said Mac. "We'll get through this together, no matter what happens."

The next verse of the song began, and Stella decided to sing along, but her cries made her voice only a faint whisper. She held on to Mac tighter.

_There are times faced alone_

_When you find all the holes in yourself_

_You don't have to walk the night on your own _

_I will send a prayer with you to lead you on_

_I will say a prayer for you when you have gone_

The song ended, for it had been a short song. Stella pulled away from him, but still held on to his hand. She looked up to him and told him she was going to take a shower. Despite the time, he didn't protest, and let her do what she wished. He knew that it would help her clear her thoughts. He decided he needed a shower himself.

They showered fast, and soon they were dressed in clean clothes, sitting in bed. Stella was writing in a journal, about things they needed incase of immediate evacuation. She had a map out in front of her, and Mac could tell she was still stuck on where to go. The upper east coast was out of the question, since many people were stilling cleaning up from the destruction of Hurricane Arthur there. Florida and the southern states wouldn't be a good option either, since many hurricanes were heading for that direction. The west or head farther north would be their only option. But Montana sounded like the best suggestion now.

"Should we go to Montana?" asked Stella.

"It seems like the best choice," replied Mac. "I know we'll see Lindsay there; she'll probably evacuate there if any bad weather hits."

At the mention of bad weather, Stella glanced over to the window, to see the rain pouring on the streets. "I don't know Mac, I feel so unprepared. I don't want to leave again; I wanted to stay here and make a living. I'd thought we'd be fine here, but it turns out I was wrong."

"You wouldn't have known this was going to happen," said Mac. He took her hand. "It's getting late. You need to rest."

Stella nodded. She closed her journal and set it on the end table next to the bed. Next, she put the map back in the dresser, where she had found it. Then she crawled into bed, turned off the lights, and huddled close to Mac. She soon fell asleep in his arms.

Mac didn't fall asleep right away; he listened to the rain, hitting hard against the buildings and streets outside. He stared at the ceiling, thinking of everything he had learned about today. New York City being completely under water, the rising storm around the world, and the website that held all of the information of Lindsay on it, and whoever had made it knew her true identity. Out of all of the problems there were to worry about right now, he thought Lindsay's was the worst, for her secret could slip out at any moment.

* * *

A breeze blew across the room, making Stella shiver. She pulled the covers over her. When the breeze still hit her, she lowered the covers from her face and looked around the room. A window was open, but she didn't ever remember opening it before she went to bed. She tapped Mac on the shoulder to get his attention. "Mac," she whispered.

"Huh?" he asked, still in a daze.

"The window," she replied. "It's open. Did you open it?"

"Yeah," said Mac. "It had stopped raining when I opened it. Is it raining again?"

"No," said Stella. "It's just a cold breeze that was bothering me." She paused. "Wait, the breeze stopped." She looked questioningly at Mac.

Mac raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't me, if that's what you where thinking."

Stella laughed. "No, I wasn't thinking that at all."

Mac smiled, relieved to know that. He was about to closed his eyes again when suddenly a noise sounded in the distance. And it wasn't thunder that pierced through the sky this time.

Stella immediately threw the covers off of her and ran over to the window. She gasped when she saw the sky. "Mac, the noise, it's a siren!" she exclaimed. "A tornado's coming! We need to hurry and get to the lowest floor of this apartment."

Stella ran to grab her cell phone, and Mac followed. They quickly threw on a coat, slipped on their shoes, and ran out of the room. In the hallway, Stella began to bang on doors and yell. "There's a tornado, hurry get to the lowest level of the apartment building!"

As she continued to bang on doors to get people's attention, the crowd in the hallway grew more immense, and she got separated from Mac. She turned away from the door she was about to knock on and looked through the crowd to locate Mac. She couldn't see him. "Mac!" she yelled.

She pushed her way through the crowd and called his name again. "Mac!"

A voice answered her call. "Stella, where are you?"

"Where are you..?" Someone knocked into her, making her fall backwards, into Mac's arms. She looked up to see his face. "I can trust you to catch me when I fall," she said.

He smiled. "I'd always catch you when you fall." He helped her up. "We need to hurry, before the power…"

The lights flickered and then went out, leaving them in the darkness. Screams of panic came from the rushing crowd. "…Goes out," Stella finished for him. The noise of howling winds sounded closer to the apartment.

"Come on!" yelled Mac. He grabbed her hand, and then they rushed over to the stairs. They stopped in front of the doorway, seeing that they wouldn't be able to get through the crowd. Stella turned her head to the sound of roaring winds that began to rip through the apartment. She looked towards the crowd.

"Single file!" she yelled. She hurried to get the people to get a single file line, and soon the line began to vanish down the stairs. She signaled to Mac, and he quickly ran over to her. Once they were inside the stairwell, Stella closed the door behind her, grabbed Mac's hand, and together they ran down the stairs.

"What's the lowest level of this apartment building?" Stella asked as she ran.

"The basement," replied Mac.

"This apartment building has a basement?" questioned Stella.

Mac nodded to the door as it came into view. He quickly pushed it open, letting Stella go first, and then he went through next, closing the door behind him. They huddled over to a corner where there weren't any people.

When she sat down against the cold wall, Stella immediately pulled out her cell phone.

"What are you doing?" questioned Mac. "The storm is about to hit!"

"I'm calling Lindsay," replied Stella as she dialed in her number.

"Why?" questioned Mac. "I mean what about Flack and Hawkes? What about Danny?"

"Flack and Hawkes would have already heard the sirens since they live close to us," said Stella. "I don't have Danny's number. I don't even know where he lives." She stopped talking as she heard a voice answer on the other end of the phone.

"Hello?"

"Lindsay, is that you?" asked Stella.

"Yeah, of course it is," replied Lindsay. "What's your reason for calling me at four in the morning?"

"Never mind the time," said Stella. "I just need you to listen."

"Okay," said Lindsay. "You've got my attention."

"A tornado is about to hit the eastern side of Chicago," said Stella. "I know you live in the city, but have you heard…"

"A tornado?" questioned Lindsay. "That can't be possible, the sky's not green, there's no hail or severe thunderstorms going on right now, and the sirens aren't…"

An eerie silence came after her sentence. "Lindsay? Lindsay, are you all right?" Stella glanced at Mac apprehensively. "Lindsay, what's happening? Are you there?"

A long beeping noise came on the phone, telling her that Lindsay had hung up. She flipped her phone shut. "Did you lose her?" asked Mac.

Stella nodded. She moved closer to Mac, holding on to his hand. She heard the noise of the tornado ripping through the apartment, destroying her home, just like how the hurricane had destroyed the city of New York a year ago. "Mac," she whispered. "I love you, always remember that, okay?"

He put his arm around her. "I love you too, Stel," said Mac. "I'll always remember that. We're going to be okay. We're going to make it through this storm."

Stella looked up at him and smiled. His voice had sounded so convincing; she just wished she could believe the same.

_Here comes the action...next chapter will be about Lindsay! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	13. Drive

_Thanks to Aly and lily moonlight for reviewing, and thank you to my new reviewers: nikkilou and Mynerva24. I'm glad you enjoyed the SMacked in the last chapter! Hope you enjoy this chapter. To lily, sorry I didn't answer your question right away, but Samantha and her team will be chapter 21, so eight more chapters to come before they are in it._

_Chapter Thirteen: Drive_

_Lindsay Monroe's Apartment _

Lindsay let the phone drop from her hands. The sky wasn't green, but there were massive dark clouds covering almost the entire sky, showing signs of a tornado forming. Soon the sirens began to ring through the city, and Lindsay hurried to get her things together. She grabbed her cell phone from the floor and grabbed everything that had to deal with Paige Hobson and threw it into a bag. She quickly put on her shoes, grabbed her coat, and ran outside.

The wind blew through the streets, almost pushing her off the stairs of her apartment building. She held on to the railing and walked down the stairs. The sight she saw in front of her eyes caused her to stop in the middle of the street.

Not just one, but three tornadoes were all heading for the city, destroying everything in their path. Cars and buses were being thrown from one street to another, streetlights and stop signs were being tossed through the air like a football, and buildings were being sucked into the funnel of the tornadoes. The city she knew seemed to be disappearing every minute, before her eyes. And as she looked at the sky, she could see two other tornadoes forming.

She ran to her car, passing storm chasers, news reporters, and people with video cameras who thought they were smart enough to film a tornado on there own. She didn't stop to tell them to get away from the tornado and find a safe place to shelter; she was focused on only two things: Get to her car and get away from the tornadoes.

As she found her car and opened the door, a person on the sidewalk yelled to her. She turned around to see a woman with long, dark brown hair, waving to her. The woman's name was Taylor, who lived right next door to Lindsay's apartment. She didn't talk to her much, only if she saw her outside of her apartment or at the store. She guessed she wanted to make sure Lindsay was okay, especially in this time of emergency.

"What are you doing?" Taylor yelled to her. "You can't out drive a tornado!"

"I'll be fine Taylor," said Lindsay. "Get inside and stay away from the windows! Save yourself, before it's too late."

"But where are you going?" she asked.

Lindsay ignored her question and closed the door. She started up her car, and began to drive. The bad thing about her destination was that the tornadoes were in the direction she was driving in, once she passed them, she would be fine. But she realized she would have to take an alterative route to get to where she wanted to go, or else she would be sucked up into one of the tornadoes.

Before she could turn around, she looked up to see a car coming right in the direction of her. She swerved her car over to the left, avoiding the other car just by a few inches. It smashed into the street, knocking into other cars as it slid down the street. She then turned around, trying the best to avoid debris on the streets.

She sped up, aware of the tornadoes behind her. She was afraid that she would either crash into a building or get sucked into one of the tornadoes. But none of that ever happened. She was able to make it out of the city of Chicago with only little damage to her car. She took a deep breath, thinking about the long drive she had ahead of her.

_A/N: This story is fiction, but word of advise: NEVER, NEVER out drive a tornado. The car could get sucked up into the funnel. You might already know that, but I just wanted to let you know. The next chapter will be about Mac and Stella. And review, please! :)_


	14. Aftermath

_Thanks to lilymoonlight and Aly for reviewing!_

_Chapter Fourteen: Aftermath_

_Basement of Mac and Stella Taylor's Apartment Building_

Stella opened her eyes to the dark, clouded room. She breathed in the dusty air and then coughed. The tornado had hit their apartment, and now they were buried under debris. She was still holding on to Mac's hand, and when she turned to look at him, he squeezed her hand. "Stella," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," she replied. She pushed some of the debris away from her. "We need to get out of here. We need to find the door that leads to the stairwell."

Mac slowly nodded. "First we need to remove this debris out of the way."

They thrust away pieces of wood, furniture, and even tree branches out of their way. When they were able to stand, Stella looked at Mac with concern in her eyes. "Mac, we can't just leave the others behind. We have to help clear the debris off the other people here."

Mac nodded. "Okay," he said.

As they walked through the basement, they cleared away debris. Not many people were trapped under the debris, but they were thankful to Mac and Stella. Stella was glad to help, especially since these were the people who lived in the same apartment building as her. She felt like she had to help, or she would be betraying them. She knew Mac would do anything to help; he would feel like it was his duty to help his friends too.

When they had helped the people from the debris, Stella looked around the room to find the door that had leaded them to the basement. She soon found it and signaled for Mac and the others to come over to her. They crowed over to the door, waiting for her to open it. As soon as she opened it, she gasped.

What had lay left of their apartment building was one of the staircases and the basement they had huddled in. She looked out at the expanse of the city. There were some buildings and skyscrapers still standing, like the Chicago Tribune Building and the Sears Tower, but others were destroyed or completely gone. The city of Chicago was now a field of a tornado wreck, and she knew that it would take many months or even years to rebuild the city completely. She thought about what Lindsay had told her, about the weather pattern being messed up. She didn't think this would happen, yet then again she hadn't thought that the city of New York would be underwater.

She turned to the others. "Our apartment building is gone," she announced, "along with the city of Chicago."

There were cries of shock from the crowd. People began to yell and protest about what Stella had said.

"That's impossible, nothing like that could have happened!" a woman yelled.

"You're lying!" another person yelled.

"Well, you wanted to get out of the basement," said Stella. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"

She moved away from the door, allowing people to get out of the basement. She walked over to Mac, and she hugged him, beginning to cry. "Lindsay was right," cried Stella. "The weather pattern is messed up. We should have evacuated yesterday."

This time, Mac didn't say anything. She began to think that even Mac had begun to believe Lindsay was right and that they should have trusted her. She wondered how Lindsay was doing now, if she had survived the wreck of the tornado or not.

_It was a short chapter, but I hope you liked it! Next chapter will also be short; it'll be about Cameron and Chase. And don't worry, a long chapter is soon to come!_


	15. A Weather Report

_Thanks to lily moonlight and Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. This will be a very short chapter, and it should be the last for a while. Hope you enjoy it!_

_Chapter Fifteen: A Weather Report_

_Allison Cameron's Apartment_

"Breaking news story, five tornadoes hit the city of Chicago, and as you see right here, this is what is left of the city…"

Cameron lifted her head to the sound of the TV. She looked at Chase, who was sleeping on the couch besides her. "Chase," she whispered. "Wake up."

"Huh?" He looked at the clock. "Why are you waking me up at five in the morning?"

"Look," said Cameron, pointing to the TV.

They were watching the Weather Channel, and right now they were showing the city of Chicago, completely destroyed by an outbreak of tornadoes. Then it went back to the news station, with a meteorologist talking about the weather.

"Thank you Denise," the guy said. "And the weather around the country has been acting up. Some places have been experiencing thirteen degree drops, and we have been experiencing record rainfall all over the country, even in the deserts. After facing Hurricane Arthur only a year ago, the east coast is now experiencing heavy rains and severe weather. And three hurricanes have just made landfall in Florida. The reports have been confirmed, and we believe we are experiencing a period of global cooling."

"What?" Cameron questioned the TV. She changed the channel, and almost every station was reporting the same thing. She turned to look at Chase.

"How could this have happened?" questioned Chase.

"Forget that!" exclaimed Cameron. "Cuddy, she was left in the storm…she wouldn't have heard anything!" She got up from the couch and hurried to get her coat on.

"Wait, where are you going?" questioned Chase.

As she walked over to the door, she turned around. "If I told you," she began, "you would stop me." She opened the door and walked outside, leaving Chase alone in the apartment. She got into her car and began to drive to Chicago. She did live farther from the city, so the storm hadn't hit at all. But she hoped Cuddy had been all right, that someone had helped her, that someone had gotten her out of her apartment and to the safety of a basement or somewhere she would be safe from the tornadoes.

_Cameron and Chase have now heard of the news of the tornadoes. Has Cuddy survived the storm? _

_Review! The next chapter will be about Danny arriving in Montana:)_


	16. Wheat Fields In Montana

_Thanks to Aly and lily moonlight for reviewing! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Hope you like it! :)_

_Chapter Sixteen: Wheat Fields In Montana_

_Flight from Chicago O'Hare to Billings Logan International Airport_

Danny stared out the window, seeing the airport come into view. After debating on whether he should go to Montana or not for two hours after Lindsay had called, he had decided to listen to her advice. He had dealt with the three hour flight without her, and now he hoped to meet her at the airport. Maybe she had decided to go to Montana, and that's why she had called him, to tell him to come to Montana so she could see him again. He didn't believe that was the right answer, but what he did know was that Lindsay had saved him from getting trapped in the storm in Chicago. He just hoped she had saved herself as well.

The plane flew lower beneath the clouds, revealing the state of Montana. He remembered a time when he and Lindsay had been working a case by the ocean, back in New York. There had been a beautiful view of the city from the dock, and Danny had said, "Montana! See a view like this, eh? Beats the wheat fields, no?"

Lindsay had walked over to him and asked, "Have you ever even seen a wheat field?" She then walked back over to the victim.

Danny hadn't known what to say. "What's to see?" he had asked. "It's just wheat."

Now he wished Lindsay was sitting besides him, telling him, "See, wheat fields aren't so bad when you see them, huh?"

Yet instead, he was alone, facing the journey to Montana by himself. Just like the last past year of his life, living in Chicago, he had been alone. No one ever came to help him, he didn't bother to keep in contact with anyone either. He was miserable, missing Lindsay every moment of his life.

The rough landing of the plane awoke him from his thoughts. He had made it this far, surely he could wait for Lindsay to come to Montana, that's if, she ever did. The plane came to the gate, and people started getting up from their seats.

Danny watched the departing passengers. The two people sitting next to him, a woman and a man, obviously married, had never said a word to him. They had known he didn't want to be bothered. Soon they were gone, and Danny realized that many people in the rows behind him had already departed the plane. He quickly got his bag and headed for the inside of the airport.

When he entered the airport, he turned on his cell phone. Almost immediately the phone began to ring.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Danny?" a familiar voice replied. "Danny, is that you?"

"Yes," he said. "Lindsay, I just got off the plane, how did you know…?"

"Lucky guess," replied Lindsay. "I knew you would take time to consider your options, believe Lindsay and leave Chicago or don't believe Lindsay and stay in the storm. Let me guess, you took about two hours to figure out what to do?"

"How…?" questioned Danny. "Oh, just forget it. Yeah, so I'm in Montana now, in Billings actually. Where are you?"

"Heading towards Wisconsin," replied Lindsay. "Five tornadoes destroyed the city of Chicago, you're lucky you decided to leave. I didn't want to take a chance going to O'Hare or Midway and find out all the flights were cancelled, so I've decided to go to…"

"What about the others?" Danny questioned.

"Danny, I would have helped them, but I didn't know where everyone was," said Lindsay. "I'm sure they're fine, they'd have used good judgment. I'll be coming to Montana, though, so stay at the airport."

"How long will it take you to get here?" asked Danny.

"About five maybe six hours, since I have to drive to the airport," replied Lindsay.

"What's going on, you know, with the weather and everything?"

"I'm not exactly sure Danny," said Lindsay. "But when I get to Montana, I'm going to find out."

"You know, you've been saying my name a lot lately," said Danny.

"Danny...whatever, just forget that," said Lindsay. "But if I don't make it to Montana around noon, your time, then go check into a hotel in Bozeman, okay?"

Danny hadn't even realized he was in a different time zone. He glanced at the clock, which read five forty five. "Why Bozeman?" he asked.

"Because, that's where I grew up," she answered. There was a silence between them, and after Lindsay didn't say anything for a minute, he was sure she had ended the call. He hung up and put his cell phone back in his pocket.

He looked around the waiting area, and then he began to walk away. He would first get his luggage, figure out the next flight arriving in Montana, and wait for Lindsay. He decided that no matter how long it took Lindsay to get there, he wouldn't check into a hotel. He would wait for her, even if it took her days to get there.

_Danny has arrived safely in Montana. And we now know Lindsay will also be heading there too. How will their meeting go after not seeing each other for a year? In chapters to come, we will see…_

_  
Hope you guys enjoyed it! Next chapter is promised to be long, after all these short chapters. It'll be about Cameron, Chase, and Cuddy, and in the chapter following we'll finally learn where House is! _


	17. Global Cooling

_Thanks to lily moonlight and Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Hope you enjoy this one! _

_Chapter Seventeen: Global Cooling_

_Lisa Cuddy's Apartment_

She awoke suddenly, with the feeling that someone was at her door. She threw off the covers and tumbling in the darkness, she went to answer the door. She had been right, Cameron was there, and she was just about to open the door herself with a key that she had given her. "Cameron," she signed. "What are you doing here?"

"Thank God you're okay!" exclaimed Cameron. She threw her arms around Cuddy.

Cuddy put her arms around Cameron, but was still confused on why she had just hugged her. She was okay; she had been sleeping, just like any normal night. Cameron must have been paranoid.

She stepped away from Cuddy, wiping away tears that were streaming down her face. Cuddy signed to her, "So, you're here in the middle of the night to make sure that I'm all right. What's going on?"

"There was a tornado, five actually…" Cameron stopped. She had been so worried about Cuddy that she had forgotten that she couldn't hear her. She could have kept talking, she could read lips, but Cameron had said it so fast that she didn't catch everything she had said. Cuddy had interpreted "There was," and "actually."

"Five tornadoes hit the area of Chicago," Cameron signed. "I just found out this morning, since I don't live in the city. I knew you wouldn't have heard any of the sirens, so I was glad to know that you were okay. The tornadoes passed your apartment building completely, along with some of the other buildings surrounding yours."

Cuddy stared at her in alarm. A tornado…five tornadoes had hit Chicago, and because of suffering from being deaf, she didn't hear the sirens. She could have gotten killed, but luckily, the tornadoes had passed her apartment. She knew the next time, she wouldn't be so lucky. She was starting to wonder if getting a cochlear implant would be a good idea now…

"Five?" Cuddy signed.

Cameron nodded.

That was strange, since they lived in the city, where tornadoes usually didn't hit. And five at once was also uncommon, but maybe she was wrong. She hadn't gone to med school to learn about weather.

"What caused this to happen?" Cuddy signed.

Cameron looked worriedly around the room and then signed, "I'll tell you about it later. Get your stuff together."

"Why?" signed Cuddy.

"You can't stay here, not in the destruction of the storm," signed Cameron. "We'll go back to my apartment, where Chase is waiting for me."

"What about the others?" Cuddy signed. They couldn't just forget about Foreman, Kutner, Taub, Thirteen, and Wilson.

"We'll call them back at my apartment," signed Cameron.

She was going to sign, "What about Paige?" but Cameron didn't know who Paige was. She couldn't just tell her, she had promised to keep Lindsay Monroe/Paige Hobson a secret. She turned away from Cameron, grabbing a suitcase, getting her clothes, and then threw them into her suitcase. Then she nodded to Cameron, to tell her she was ready to leave.

When she stepped outside of her apartment, she was surprised to see the sight. Her apartment was the only one that had been untouched by the tornado, while the other buildings on the block were either completely gone or partly damaged, missing floors or roofs. Debris covered the street, overcrowding the roads. There was even debris on Cameron's car, coming from driving through the streets.

She looked up to the sky, seeing that there were more storm clouds in the air, blocking the chances of seeing the sun that morning. Cameron walked over to her, after putting her suitcase in the truck of her car, and gave her an apologetic look. She opened the door for Cuddy and then walked around to the other side of the car, slamming the door shut when she got inside. Cuddy immediately got inside the car and closed the door.

* * *

They were sitting on the floor, around the coffee table. Cameron had gone into the kitchen to make some coffee for the three of them, while Chase and Cuddy waited in the other room. Chase and Cuddy didn't bother communicating with each other; Chase seemed to feel awkward around her. Though he also looked tired, which explained the reason why he didn't talk.

Cuddy gazed around the room. There was one couch, one lounge chair, and the coffee table she was sitting by. The TV in the room was placed in an armoire, still on even though none of them were paying attention to it. There were a few pictures and decoration items here and there, but otherwise, there wasn't much in the room.

She took a piece of paper and a pen from the table. Chase looked at her questioningly, but then went back to daydreaming about Cameron. She scribbled something on to the paper.

_What's going on with the weather?_

She pushed the paper over to Chase. He looked down at it, but didn't bother answering the question. She took the paper from him and wrote again.

_Come on Chase, answer the question. Just because I can't hear a thing, doesn't mean you can't try to communicate with me. I'm still the same person._

Again, she handed Chase the paper and this time gave him the pen. He took the paper, quickly read it, and answered:

_Global cooling_

After she had read the paper, Cameron appeared in the room, carrying the coffees over to them. Cameron eyed the paper that she had been writing on, but didn't question it. Cuddy decided to ask her the same question she had asked Chase. "What's going on with the weather?" she signed.

Chase raised an eyebrow, as if he thought she hadn't trusted his answer. She did trust his answer; she just wanted to know if Cameron had a more detailed explanation, instead of just 'global cooling'.

"From all the news reports, the only thing I've heard is that this weather mess up has something to do with global cooling," signed Cameron. "And it makes sense, with all this rain and temperature drops."

"_So what does this mean for us?"_ questioned Chase.

This time, Cameron answered Chase's question talking and signing. "It means that we could go into the next Ice Age. With the weather acting the way it is, it seems like that's capable of happening, not too far from now."

Cuddy stared at her, not wanting to believe the news. They had only been in Chicago for one year, after facing the tragedy of leaving New Jersey behind in the hurricane. Now might they possibly have to face something that none of them had gone through before? Then she was reminded of something, like this same exact thing had happened before. "'The Day After Tomorrow'," she signed. "That's what is going to happen to us."

"_She's right,"_ said Cameron. _"That's exactly how this weather pattern is. The whole North_ _Hemisphere might freeze, bringing in deadly snow storms."_

Chase stood up. _"You two are taking it too far. There's no way that's going to happen. That_ _was a movie; this is just the weather acting up. I'm sure the weather will clear up by the weekend."_

"_Do you think a hurricane hitting and flooding the entire city of New York is just the weather_ _acting up?"_ questioned Cameron. _"Do you think that five tornadoes hitting Chicago and_ _hurricanes flooding the state of Florida is just the weather acting up? To me, that sounds a lot like how the weather was in that movie."_

"_What I'm saying is that that was a movie,"_ said Chase. _"Things in movies aren't real."_

"_Not everything is,"_ said Cameron. _"But there are a lot of things in movies that are real and can happen. The weather in the movie could happen, and it has already happened. So I would prepare for the possibility of snow storms and freezing weather."_

Chase shrugged. _"If that's what you believe, fine. But in my opinion, I don't think anything_ _like that could happen."_

"_Okay then,"_ said Cameron. _"It's probably a good time to start calling the others, to see if_ _they're all right."_

Chase nodded and reached to his cell phone on the coffee table. He immediately called Wilson, since he knew his number. Cuddy looked at him, feeling sorry for him, since he had to make all the calls and that no one agreed with his theory. She took a seat at the couch, knowing that the day would go on forever, and still tired, she closed her eyes, letting sleep get the best of her.

* * *

She awoke in a cold sweat. She was anxious, from what, she didn't know, but something told her it had to do with what she had found out about earlier, about the world experiencing the next Ice Age. Even though it would take time for this to happen, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Where would they go? Would they be able to survive? She decided her anxiety came from her worrying too much about the weather.

Besides her, Cameron was talking on the phone, to whom, she didn't know, but she was relieved to know that they had gotten a hold of the others. She could tell by the expression on Cameron's face that whoever she was talking to was all right.

Chase was also on the phone, pacing back and forth from the living room to the kitchen. She couldn't tell if he was doing that because he was worried or from being impatient, wanting to get off the phone. She wished she could help, but since she couldn't hear, it would be kind of hard to talk to the person on the phone. One, she wouldn't hear their responses, and two, talking for her wasn't something she did everyday, since she barely used her voice anymore. She remembered hearing her own voice before, but she highly doubted that she would ever hear herself again, or anyone else, since she didn't expect to recover her hearing again. Even if she did get a cochlear implant, there still could be a slight chance that her hearing would still be bad, and a person's voice may only sound like a whisper to her. But if she could at least hear something, she would be thankful.

Hunger gripped at her stomach, and she wished that some food would appear in front of her, like someone would serve a nice breakfast in bed. The last time she had eaten was the day before, and that had been lunch. She had totally forgotten about making dinner last night, since she had gotten home so late. She eyed her coffee she had barely touched, knowing it would help quench her thirst. But even the need for water didn't make her move. She slouched down, wanting to fall asleep again.

Cameron was looking at her, the phone now in her hands. She had obviously finished her call. "Are you feeling all right?" she signed.

Cuddy nodded. She looked to see Chase enter the room again, but this time, he stayed where he was, gripping the phone in his hand. _"I just heard from Wilson. He says he's all right, but mad about the whole tornado thing ruining his house."_

"_What about the others?" _Cameron asked._ "Did he hear from anyone else?"_

"_He said he heard from Foreman and Taub, and says they're all right too," _replied Chase._ "He didn't say anything about Kutner and Thirteen though."_

"_I just talked to Kutner," _said Cameron._ "He's fine. But I heard nothing on Thirteen." _

"Thirteen?" signed Cuddy.

Cameron nodded. "Do you have her number on your cell phone?"

Cuddy reached into the suitcase she had brought, pulled out her phone, and threw it over to Cameron. "Look under contacts," she signed.

As she did that, Cuddy closed her eyes. She kept telling herself to eat or drink something, but she was still too tired to move from the couch. She knew this worried Cameron, but tried not to imagine the look on her face while she slept. Instead of feeling the control of sleep taking over her, she felt a light tap on her shoulder, and had to open her eyes. She saw Cameron pointing to the phone, worried because she hadn't gotten an answer from Thirteen yet.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. Thirteen was probably fine too; she just didn't want to answer her phone, because she was too busy helping the others around her. Or her house may have not even got hit by the tornado, and she was still sleeping, only because she wasn't a morning person. That was probably wrong though, she thought, because Thirteen would always be at the hospital bright and early, almost at the same exact time she would arrive.

After Cameron had tried to call three times, she expected that Thirteen wasn't still sleeping. She was in trouble. Cameron stood up from the couch. _"We need to help Thirteen, to see if she's all right."_

She turned to Cuddy and signed, "Do you know where she lives?"

Cuddy took the piece of paper she had been writing on earlier and quickly wrote down the address. She then lay back on the couch, closing her eyes. This reaction had worried Cameron; she could just imagine her glancing at Chase, asking him, "Do you think she's all right?"

Of course she wasn't all right, but she didn't want to tell Cameron that. She needed rest; that was all. Once she felt fully rested, she would accompany the others to Thirteen's apartment, since that was probably what they were going to do. She opened her eyes again, to see that Cameron was talking.

"_She's fine, there's no way that's coming back again…"_

"_Are you sure?" _asked Chase.

Cameron turned to her. "Cuddy, are you feeling pressure in your ears or do you feel like you are going to get sick?"

She couldn't take it anymore. She felt like she was a patient, when she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She knew what Cameron was thinking, that she was beginning to develop the symptoms of Meniere's disease again. She shook her head.

"I'm not sick," she signed. "I'm not getting Meniere's again. I just haven't eaten much; actually the last time I ate was yesterday. I haven't drunk anything either, expect a little bit of coffee. I'm dehydrated and hungry. All I need is something to drink and eat and then we can go to Thirteen's apartment."

Cameron immediately walked towards the kitchen, forgetting that Thirteen had not answered the phone three times. When it came to a time in emergency, she would always help Cuddy first rather than the others around her. If she hadn't been deaf, she would be sure that Cameron would have told her where she could find food and make herself a snack, while she and Chase went to Thirteen's apartment.

"Cereal?" signed Cameron.

Cuddy nodded. She didn't care what she ate, even if she didn't like it. Anything that would satisfy her hunger would be fine. Soon that wish came true as she was served a bowl of Frosted Flakes and had a new cup of coffee. She watched the soundless TV—at least for her it was—while Chase and Cameron discussed something.

As she watched the weather report, which said there was more rain to come for Chicago, she thought about where in the world House was. She turned to look at Chase and Cameron, who were practically arguing with each other now, and to get their attention, she had to use her spoon to bang on the cereal bowl. Obviously she had done it loud enough, because both Chase and Cameron were staring at her, with the expression of, "What is it that you want?" on their faces.

She simply signed, "Do you have a computer?"

Cameron walked away from Chase and showed her where her computer was. Before she could leave, Cuddy signed, "Please stop fighting with him. You two make too much of a great couple to break up over what to expect of this upcoming storm."

Cameron shrugged. Then she signed, "What do you need the computer for anyway?"

"You'll see," signed Cuddy. She turned on the computer. She looked at Cameron again. "Do you have MSN?"

Cameron nodded and opened it up for her. She was surprised to see House's username there. "You talk to House?"

"He has sent a few messages to me," signed Cameron.

She quickly signed in and sent a message to House. She didn't expect him to answer, but when he did, she smiled. He had sent a message saying, _I got your email, Lisa. No questions, I see. And I do support your decision, if that's what you want. But about Thirteen…that's going to be a hard one to figure out…_

She turned the computer monitor away from Cameron, so she couldn't see what he had wrote. She could feel that she was blushing, but she tried to ignore her embarrassment. She wrote: _I'm glad you got the email. But now, I have to tell you something. Chicago…it was hit by five tornadoes this morning…thank God the tornadoes missed my apartment, but I never heard anything, I couldn't Greg, and when I found out about it, I was so scared. _

_So you're telling me that you for sure want the cochlear implant? _He answered back.

_I don't know yet, _she replied. _But that's not what I want to tell you. What I need to tell you about is what's going on with this weather._

_Yes…?_

_Global cooling, _she answered. _You've seen 'The Day after Tomorrow', right?_

_Yes_

_Well, that's what's happening. The temperatures around the world are slowly decreasing, and soon we might be in for the next Ice Age. The entire Northern Hemisphere might freeze, just like what happened in the movie._

Cuddy looked up from the computer. Chase had now entered the room, and he was standing besides Cameron. She turned the monitor away from them even more. When she looked at her message again, she realized House hadn't answered yet. It wasn't long before he did.

_Lisa…to tell you the truth, I had already known that. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, I could have saved you from getting stuck in the storm. But I've been so busy lately, I now just got a break from working, and I was just going to tell you about the discovery of global cooling affecting the earth._

_Don't be sorry, it's not your fault at all, _she replied. _Are you all right though? Have you gotten affected by the storm?_

_I'm fine, Lisa, where I am right now hasn't gotten affected by the storm._

_But where are you, Greg?_

_Where I am is where I am. I'll be fine Lisa, promise me, and I'll keep you updated on this storm, okay? I'm sorry, but I have to go…one of my employees told me we have a problem._

_Wait, Greg, don't go…I need to know where you are. And what are you doing, to benefit both of us?_

_Remember…_he answered. _No questions…_

_Seriously, answer me!_

This time, he didn't answer. He left her staring at the conversation she had with him. He would never tell her where he was, or at least give her a clue. She turned the monitor back to its normal position and, if they wanted, allowed Cameron and Chase to look at the conversation. But they didn't move from their spot, they just looked at Cuddy, like she knew what to do next. And she did.

"Let's go to Thirteen's apartment," she signed. "We need to make sure she survived the storm."

With that, they headed for the door. She was surprised no one had questioned her judgment, especially Cameron, who would usually consider a second thought, worry about her instead. She had been wrong earlier. Cameron didn't always think about her first in a time of emergency. When there was a time of emergency, she would let Cuddy take the lead and decide what to do, just like she had done now.

_No one has heard from Thirteen…is she okay? And where actually is House? In the next chapter we will finally find out about House! _

_A/N: The weather might sound unbelievable, and I know that most of this stuff wouldn't happen in real life. But that's how the weather was in the movie, and I wanted the weather to be like how it was in the movie. Hope you liked this chapter!_


	18. It's Never Lupus

_Thanks to lily moonlight and Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter!_

_A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for a while. I've been sick, and with school and homework, it sometimes hard to update. But I'm feeling better now, and hopefully, I'll have less homework. So I'll try to update sooner. Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Chapter Eighteen: It's Never Lupus_

_St. Peter's Hospital, Helena, Montana_

_Dr. Gregory House's Office _

House turned away from the computer, leaving the conversation he had just had with Cuddy. She wanted to know where he was, but he wouldn't tell her. He knew once he told her, she would come to his rescue. But that was not what he wanted. Right now, he wanted her to stay with the other doctors, where she would be safe. He would then try his best to save her from the storm, to tell her where to evacuate to and where she would be safe throughout the storm. Though he had lied to her twice: he hadn't just gotten off from working, he had been in his office ever since he'd shown up for work that morning; and he didn't have to go, none of his employees had come to tell him that they had needed his help. But soon, someone did come to his office.

He heard a knock on his door and looked up to see Dr. Jennifer Hansen, a doctor with whom he worked with. He got up from his chair and limped over to her. "Yes?"

"Your patient," Jennifer said. "I think we should run a test to see if she has lupus."

He looked at her questioningly. "Lupus? It's never lupus." He walked out of his office, Jennifer following him down the hall.

"Systemic lupus erythematosus, that is."

He shrugged. "It's still lupus. And no, she doesn't have lupus."

"Lupus explains the kidney failure," she said.

"I could think of a million other diseases that cause kidney failure," House replied, walking faster, though he knew he could only walk as fast as his legs would carry him, which wouldn't be that fast at all. Jennifer would catch up to him with no problem. "And there are a million other symptoms that explain she doesn't have lupus."

"What about the swollen joints and skin rash?" Jennifer asked him.

"Again, a million other reasons why she could have those…"

"What about…?"

He stopped walking and turned to look at her. "Test for lupus, if that's what you think. That way, you won't have to follow me around all day, telling me all of the symptoms the patient has."

Jennifer gave him a look that reminded him of Cameron. "You just want to keep me busy, so you won't have to deal with the patient yourself."

"And how long have you known me?" questioned House.

"One year," she replied, even though he didn't mean for her to answer. "But I guess it hasn't been long enough." She walked away, heading towards the patient's room.

House then turned around, walking in the opposite direction of where Jennifer had gone. An acquaintance he had met a while ago, after he had taken his child into the clinic for the flu, was sitting in the cafeteria, eating lunch. But he was helping him find out what was going on with the weather world wide. Not that he was interested in the weather, but he wanted to, if he could, save Cuddy from facing any bad weather in Chicago. But she already had, and now he was worried that something even worse could happen to her. He wouldn't let that happen.

House took a seat across from him. "I thought I told you to leave."

"You don't want my help anymore?" asked Ted Brennan, who worked as a climatologist. Instead, he knew the real reason why he was there, and then said, "The temperatures have dropped again."

"Again?" questioned House.

Brennan nodded.

"Why is the weather acting up like this?" he asked. "Haven't you come to some theory yet that could explain this?"

Brennan only stared at the sandwich in his hands and acted like he hadn't heard the question.

"What's going on with the weather?" House asked again.

Again, Brennan didn't answer.

"Answer the question, Brennan!"

For the first time, Brennan turned to look at him. "We're experiencing a period of global cooling."

House looked at him, stunned. "Is there anything we can do to stop it?"

"I'm afraid not House," replied Brennan. "We'll have to wait the storm out, that's it."

"We can evacuate Chicago, right?" House asked almost desperately.

"The airports are down," replied Brennan. "Five tornadoes had hit Chicago…"

House shook his head. "I already know that. We have to evacuate Chicago somehow, call for help or something…"

"House, we can't save Lisa," Brennan said. "I know you want to, but if we evacuated Chicago, we'd have to evacuate the whole United States. And we don't have the power to do that. I'm sorry House, but like I said, we'll have to wait the storm out."

"Then go back to work and find a way to stop this storm." He then got up from his seat and left the cafeteria.

Brennan sighed, knowing that House would do anything to help Lisa. But even with the knowledge he knew, and many other climatologist and meteorologists knew, they couldn't stop the upcoming storm. He went back to eating his lunch, and once he was done, he left the hospital to go back to work.

House limped back to his office, meeting up with Jennifer again in the hallway where they had last talked. Trying not to show his anger, he said, "Wow that was quick. Was the test positive or negative?"

"Neither," Jennifer replied with a smile. "I haven't even performed the test yet."

"Well, you can wait as long as you want, but our patient surely won't be alive if you wait until tomorrow."

"Well, what I was thinking," she said, "is that you could perform the test. You've been staring at your computer in your office since six this morning." She handed the clipboard to him. "Have fun, for me of course." She walked away, obviously satisfied with what she had just accomplished.

House shrugged. Jennifer sometimes reminded him of Amber, wherever the doctor had decided to go. She would have done the same thing to him, telling him to test for the disease. Even Cuddy would have done that, if she thought he had spent too much time in his office. But she would have also performed the test for him, just to be nice. Either way, he had a plan to not have to perform the test.

He limped over to a doctor who was waiting at the front desk. "Hey," he said. "Want to keep yourself busy?"

The doctor shrugged.

House handed him the clipboard. "Susan Gardner, room 24B. She's very sick and needs medical assistance. If you could, could you please test her to see if she has lupus? I would, but I have a very busy schedule. Actually, I'm supposed to be performing a surgery right now, so if you could…?"

The doctor nodded, took the clipboard from him, and headed to the patient's room. House watched him leave and then turned to leave for his office. Jennifer would later figure out that he hadn't performed the test, but he didn't care. He didn't have a surgery to attend to, but he had to find out more about how this rising storm was affecting the earth.

_The next chapter will be about Lilly and Scotty. And sorry to those who want to read about Without a Trace…I know it's been forever since Samantha and the others have been in this story, but I promise in four more chapters there'll finally be a chapter about them! And, you'll see later why House is in Montana. Hope you liked!_


	19. Unhelpful

_Thanks to lily moonlight and Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! _

_Chapter Nineteen: Unhelpful_

_Rockford Police Department, Illinois _

It was nine in the morning, and the building seemed quiet, unlike normal, busy days at work. Actually, it wasn't busy at all. Along with being quiet, the office seemed to be missing a lot of the employees that worked there, and no one was rushing around with their breakfast or a case file in their hand. It was unusual, and it made her think that she was forgetting something. Maybe it was someone's birthday…

She looked around for Scotty, and found him by a TV, around a crowd of people. She ran over to join him. "Watching television during the job, Valens?" she questioned.

He signaled her to be quiet. She was taken aback by his reaction, but soon she discovered why he was watching the TV.

She listened to the reporter's story about five tornadoes hitting Chicago. Suddenly, the thought of Dr. Lisa Cuddy came to her mind; she had just visited her the day before. "Scotty," she whispered. "Do you think Lisa made it through the storm?"

Scotty shrugged, his eyes still glued to the TV.

She turned to leave, reaching for her coat by her desk. Scotty stopped her. "Lilly, you can't save her. You don't even know where she lives."

"We should know if she's okay," said Lilly.

Scotty glanced at the TV, and then back at her again. "Lil, it's not our job to know that. Right now, we need to focus on working our cases, okay?"

Lilly alarmed by his response. How could he be so insensitive, thinking about their cases instead of Lisa, who could be in trouble? But part of her knew he was right; she didn't think Lisa would be at the hospital, and she didn't know where she lived. She put her coat back on her chair. "What about that detective, Stella Bonasera?" she challenged. "And what about your friend?"

"Again, I don't know her phone number or where she lives," replied Scotty simply. "We can't help her either. And my friend…he either died from the tornadoes or from the cancer by now."

He sounded so negative, like he thought he was helpless and couldn't do anything. He could have helped a little, by reassuring her that Stella and Lisa were okay. And it seemed as if he didn't even care for his friend that he had just visited in the hospital. She pulled him away from the group, where they couldn't hear them talking. She crossed her arms and stared straight into his face. "Why are you acting like this?"

"What do you mean acting like this?" questioned Scotty.

"Your negativity," said Lilly.

"And you have a problem with it?"

"You could be a little reassuring," said Lilly. "It's like you don't even care if the others survived the storm or not!"

"We met Lisa yesterday," said Scotty. "And Stella, we worked one case together, that's it. We never really got along. And we can't go to the hospital, so we can't save my friend."

"You seemed to get along with her just fine when you saw her at the airport. And you've now just given up hope that your friend's alive? And just because we met Lisa yesterday, doesn't mean you can't care for her. Or do you not like her, because she can't hear?"

"That's not true," said Scotty. "It's just this news of the tornadoes, after thinking that nothing like this was going to happen again. I'm still getting over the hurricane, with not being able to see Philly again. I'm sorry Lil, but I just need to be alone for a while."

"You don't have to apologize for it," Lilly snapped. "Just leave. Take all the time you want, if that'll put you in a better mood."

Anger flared in Scotty's eyes, but he didn't say anything. He stalked off, not turning back to look at her. She wasn't entirely infuriated with him, but sent him off so he could reconsider what he had just told her. He didn't seem to care for the others in his life; did that mean he didn't care for her?

She walked over to her desk, sat down, and glanced over to the TV. _Work on a case_, she thought. _We don't even have a case to work on._ The storm would delay any cases they were working on anyway, so why should she focus on it? She sighed, yearning to know if the others had survived the tornadoes.

_Hope you liked it! We'll see Cold Case again in eight more chapters. The next chapter will have some SMacked in it!_


	20. Home No More

_Thanks to lily moonlight and Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Now here's a SMacked chapter!_

_Chapter Twenty: Home No More_

_City of Chicago_

All was silent, not even the slightest wind made a noise. No one could make a noise; barely could find their voice to speak, after what had happened to the beloved city of Chicago. Even the cries were held back; everyone was afraid of making a sound to show their despair.

For her, it was all she could do to let out her feelings, her cries of sadness. She couldn't stand the destruction of the city, her second home. It was like everything was being taken away from her, just like it had been a year ago, in the hurricane of New York. It wasn't fair, the way things could be perfect at one moment, and then fall apart the next. Why it happened, she didn't know, but it shouldn't happen, not to someone undeserving of it. And when she meant someone undeserving, she meant herself.

She believed that was insensitive, but she had just gotten used to living in Chicago, and now it was gone. Nowhere else could compare to her two homes of Chicago and New York, she wasn't going to evacuate to some other place, in hopes of new life. She would stay here, at this very spot by her apartment and wait for everything to go back to normal. Though she knew nothing would go back to normal if she didn't make an effort to help rebuild Chicago.

The sound of footsteps came closer to her and she turned around to see Mac walking towards her. She gave him a quick smile and then turned back to gaze at the city, broken apart and full of weeping citizens. The sky didn't portray a fine mood either; darkening clouds still filled the sky, even after the tornadoes. What had Lindsay called the weather before? Horrid, that had been it. Dark and gloomy, everyone hates everyone; those were word she used to describe the world.

But that had been the Lindsay a year ago, after she had disappeared and the FBI came to the CSI department. Lindsay worked with the FBI now, and she seemed to have forgotten all about her troubles from that time. That still left one question: Is Lindsay Paige Hobson? She didn't think she would ever find out the truth, the answer to her question had probably already been solved, and she didn't know about it. She pushed the thought out of her head; she didn't need to know the answer to that question.

The wind picked up and it began to lightly rain. The tears that were falling down her face were now accompanied by the raindrops that hit her face. "Why?" she cried. "Why did this happen to us?"

Mac stared at her, like the answer to her question was in her tear filled eyes. "It happened because it was meant to happen," he said. "There was nothing we could do to stop it from happening."

"We were making a living, though," she said. "First New York is taken away from us and now Chicago. We didn't deserve this."

"No one deserved this," said Mac.

"You don't understand!" she yelled. "I've already gotten my home taken away from me, and this is just too much. New York is where I grew up, worked my first job, and where you and I fell in love. Now, it's like I'm watching it happen all over again, where everything is being taken away from me."

"Do you not think I don't understand?" questioned Mac. "Chicago was where I grew up, the first place I lived, way before I came to New York. Stella, this is hard for everyone. But you've got to move on, start over again."

"But you're missing the point, Mac!" exclaimed Stella. "You have family, an actual home. I grew up in the orphanage; I didn't ever get to see my real parents! New York was the closest home I had; everyone at the lab I worked with was my family. I've started over so many times before; I just don't think I can do that again." She believed that just because she hadn't ever met her parents and grew up in foster care after foster care homes didn't make her special and everyone had to feel sorry for her loss. But now, after the two storms she had been through and losing two homes, she wanted someone to feel sorry for her. Though she knew she shouldn't just feel sorry for herself.

Mac, who was still staring at her sad stricken face, didn't say anything. He had experienced hard times in his life too, the time Peyton left to England, when he lost Claire, his first wife, on September 11, in 2001, having to watch one his friends get beaten up when he was a child, and then having to face the memory again when Drew Bedford, the 333 caller, imprisoned him and held him hostage in the New York City Subway. But she too, had faced hard times in her life, getting trapped in her apartment with Frankie Mala, her now deceased boyfriend, who wanted to kill her, having a scare with almost getting HIV after getting cut by a piece of glass that had been affected with the disease, being involved in a cold case with Detective Scotty Valens, which led to Mindy Sanchez, her foster sister. And never getting to know her real parents, never knowing if they knew of her, if they were dead, never hearing them say they were proud of her. She had dealt with too much in her life, and now these storms had made everything worse.

"I'm sorry Mac," she said. "I guess that sounded a little insensitive. I…I just can't start over again, not after all the tragedies in my life. Don't you feel the same way?"

Mac sat down on the stairs that used to lead to the front door of their apartment. Now they led to nothing. She sat down besides him. "Have I ever told you the story of that beach ball?"

"Yeah," replied Stella, remembering the story. "Claire blew it up, and you were unable to throw it away because it still contained some of her breath. Do you still have it?"

"No," said Mac. "I left it in New York. I wasn't able to retrieve it before we left to Chicago."

Stella nodded, thinking that it had been a dumb question to ask anyway, since she should have known the answer. She had been with Mac during the evacuation to Chicago; they had never gone to his apartment. Mac took her hand in his, and that made her turn to look at him.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," he said. "If I hadn't moved on, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you. If we hadn't moved on, we would have never gotten married and moved to Chicago. If we don't move on now, we'll never get to see a new side of life."

He paused, to glance at the sky, and then turned to look at her again. He took his hand to put the hair that had fallen in her face, behind her ears. "Stel, the memories, New York, the things you've lost, you don't have to forget about them. But you can't let it bother you for the rest of your life, or you'll never see the light in the day. You'll be too focused on memories you can't get back. Life isn't perfect; it will never be. You have to live in the moment, enjoying life as it goes on."

Stella smiled. She met his gaze, looking deep into his eyes, just as he was doing. For a whole second, the world seemed to freeze, and everything that had been bothering her was forgotten, as they leaned closer to each other. There lips were just barely touching, and as the rain began to pour on them, they kissed. They leaned away from each other, and Mac smiled and she smiled back at him.

Mac laughed. "We should probably think about getting inside," he said, shivering from the rain, "before we get completely soaked from the rain."

Stella nodded her agreement. "But," she said, "I think we're already soaked from the rain." She tapped on the sleeve of her rain sodden coat. "And we're going to have to find a place to shelter, since our apartment is out of the question."

"We could have taken the car and drove somewhere," said Mac. "But that was before the tornado took our car and threw it somewhere else. It's probably broken now, wherever it is."

"Well," said Stella, getting up from the stairs, "looks like our only option is to walk to some public building that's still standing. Did you recover an umbrella from the wreck?"

"I wish I had," said Mac, also getting up to stand, "but unfortunately, we'll have to walk in the rain without one." He put his arm around her and then they began to walk down the street, to where, their destination was unknown. The next closest building, a library, a bank, or something, would be where they would shelter from the rain. But she was fine with walking in the rain without an umbrella; as long as Mac was by her side, everything would be okay.

_In the next chapter, Lindsay will arrive in Montana and we'll get to see how Danny and Lindsay react to each other after not seeing each other for a year. Definitely some D/L in chapter twenty one! Hope you guys liked this SMacked chapter!_


	21. Home Again

_Thank you SO much!! Thank you for your reviews and lovely comments on the last chapter Mynerva24, lily moonlight, and Aly!! It really made my day! :) Lindsay is now in Montana in this chapter, so some D/L will definitely be in here. Hope you guys enjoy!_

_Chapter Twenty One: Home Again_

_Billings Logan International Airport, Waiting Area, A3_

From his seat in the waiting room, he could see the arriving plane land. He had been watching planes arrive and depart from the runway all morning. None of them had been Lindsay's, and he had a feeling this plane wasn't going to be hers either. Of course, the waiting room he had been sitting in was the one he had gotten off of when he came from Chicago, and the flight that was supposed to arrive at the gate was from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. But he knew Lindsay wasn't coming from Chicago O'Hare, since five tornadoes had wrecked the city and the airport probably wouldn't be open for flying anywhere that morning. She had told him she was driving to Wisconsin, so she couldn't be on the flight that was coming from Minneapolis-St. Paul.

He glanced at the clock, which now read ten forty five. Lindsay had told him if she didn't get to Montana by the afternoon, he should check into a hotel in Bozeman. She wasn't late, and he definitely wasn't going to check into a hotel without her there in Montana. He slouched down in the chair, watching the TV that hung on the wall.

A plane pulled up to the gate, and soon crowds of people began to rush out of the plane, through the waiting room. He looked once or twice over to the crowd, hoping to see Lindsay there, waiting for him with a smile saying, _I'm over here, Danny. How long were you going to wait to come and get me?_

As he glanced over at the crowd again, he thought he saw a flash of Lindsay's hair. But many people could have had the same hairstyle as hers or she could look entirely different from the last time he had seen her, which had been a year ago, on the dreaded flight to Chicago. She had acted strange on the flight, she had yelled at him for the stupidest things, panicked too much while they had experienced a little turbulence, and cried at the end of the flight because she missed New York, or at least that was what he thought she had cried about. He gazed out at the crowd, and in a matter of a few seconds, he saw her, not just her hair, but her face. She was smiling at him, just like he had imagined. "Lindsay," he whispered.

"Danny!" exclaimed Lindsay.

They both ran, thrilled to see each other again. They immediately hugged, which he thought was odd because he didn't think Lindsay would want him to hug her. Maybe she had changed during the last year.

"Montana," he said, backing away from her so he could see her face. Surprisingly, she didn't make any comment on him calling her Montana, the name she hadn't liked being called for a long time. She just slightly blushed, still smiling a mile a minute.

He noticed that she did look different; her hair was a darker colored brown, and the length of her hair was longer than it had been before. "I notice you're admiring my hair," said Lindsay. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful, Montana," he commented. Again, she didn't say anything about him calling her Montana.

"Thank you," she replied. "You're still as handsome as before."

Danny smiled. Yes, he still looked the same, had the same hairstyle and the same glasses. _Not everyone can change in a year,_ he thought. Lindsay had definitely changed. She was flirting with him again; at least that was what it sounded like. "So, why did you come in from Minneapolis-St. Paul?"

Lindsay gave him a questioning look, and tilted her head to read the arrival sign. She looked at him again, still smiling. "Well," she began, as they walked away from the waiting room, "I drove the entire why to Milwaukee, which took me two hours, and then got to the airport— General Mitchell International— to find that there were no flights that had a straight connection to Billings Logan. So then I found a flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul, which had a connecting flight that went to Montana. And that's how I ended up here."

"Ended up here?" questioned Danny.

"Yes," replied Lindsay.

Danny glanced at the little bag she was carrying. "So, is that all you have?"

Lindsay nodded. "It's not much, but I didn't exactly have time to gather everything when a tornado, more like tornadoes, was going to hit my apartment." She glanced down at his suitcase, and then looked at the backpack he was carrying. "Unlike you, who brought everything but the kitchen sink."

"I didn't bring that much!" Danny protested.

Lindsay laughed. "I'm just kidding, Danny."

"Okay, you got me," said Danny. "Where are we going then?"

"Don't worry," replied Lindsay with a grin, "I've got that all taken care of."

Danny stared at her in disbelief. "You're going to let me stay in the same hotel room as you?"

"Who said anything about hotels?"

"Wait, we're not staying in a hotel?" asked Danny.

"If you would just shut up for a second," said Lindsay, "we could get moving to rent a car and then you'll see where we are staying."

"Rent a car?"

"Seriously, Danny," said Lindsay. "Do you think I could have brought my car all the way to Montana?" Danny was about to open his mouth to say, "You could have drove here," but she answered, "And before you think about that, do you really think I was going to drive all the way from Chicago, Illinois to Billings, Montana?"

He looked down to the ground, not being able to meet her angry gaze. They had started off with a pleasant meeting, but he had asked her too many questions, which obviously must have bothered her. He let her take the lead, him following her as if he was her child, and she had just scolded him for doing something wrong. For the rest of their time in the airport, he kept quiet, so he wouldn't disturb her mood. When he was in the car, he decided that she was still the same old Lindsay, mad at him for no apparent reason. The two didn't say anything to each other during the ride, and didn't even turn to look at each other.

She had the radio on, but the volume was so low that he could barely hear it. He didn't ask her to turn it up, since he knew questions bothered her, and he didn't bother turning it up himself, for he knew he would yell at him for turning it up when she could have done it herself. They both felt uncomfortable, afraid to even move slightly their seats. When the song, "Bleeding Love," by Leona Lewis came on, the feeling of being uncomfortable got even worse.

The lyrics were familiar, the song had been popular just a year ago, and it obviously still was now. Lindsay turned to look at Danny quickly, with something like fear on her face, like the song portrayed a message about her, and then turned to look at the road again. He decided to challenge her, since the song did remind him of her. "Sounds a little like us, huh?"

Again, Lindsay turned to look at him, her face stricken with fear.

"You know what I mean," he said. "How you love me, but don't want to admit it."

The emotion of fear quickly ebbed away from her face and got replaced by anger. "I don't like you, okay? How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Why save me then and not help the others back in Chicago?"

"I didn't know where Mac and Stella were during that time of the storm," Lindsay protested. "I wouldn't have known where Samantha was, or Flack or Hawkes. I knew that you would trust me to go to Montana; the others thought we should have waited one more day, just to see how the weather played out. I'm sorry Danny, but you and I are never going to get back together, so just forget the idea."

"Well, I love you," said Danny. "And I'm never going to forget how you just dropped me like that, for no reason." And with that, the song ended. He knew she liked him too, but didn't want to admit it. He turned to look out the window, watching the wheat fields pass by.

After a while, Lindsay turned to look at him. "I'm sorry Danny; I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I like you, as a friend, but there are just things right now that are affecting my life, and I don't want you to be a part of it."

"So you're saying you do like me, more than a friend," said Danny. "I called you Montana two times, and didn't say anything about it."

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe I do like the name Montana. It's just, right now, can we stay friends? At least until this whole weather think is fixed."

Danny nodded. "Friends," he said, putting out his hand.

They came to a stoplight, and then Lindsay shook his hand. "Friends," she said, smiling. The light quickly turned to green, and she immediately turned to keep her eyes on the road. She was a good driver at least.

Danny counted the stoplights as they passed them, because he was bored, and after they had passed six of them, Lindsay spoke up again. "How are those wheat fields, Messer?"

"Much more beautiful than I thought they would be," he replied. "I guess it does beat the city. It's kind of nice, living out in the country, huh?"

"Yeah," replied Lindsay. "I kind of missed it too. It's nice to wake up in the morning, and hear birds chirping, and then walk outside to the countryside. I like the city, don't get me wrong, but you wake up to traffic jams and then walk outside to see that's exactly what woke you up. And with tall buildings blocking the sky, you miss all the beauty in nature."

"I guess I'm used to that," said Danny. "I've lived in the city all my life."

She turned to car, and soon a view of a little house, covered by trees came to his sight. "You used to live there?"

"Yes," she said. "I pay for two house payments, what can I say? That's why I need the job I have." She pulled up to the driveway, parked the car, and turned it off. "It's a house a little away from the subdivisions of Bozeman. I like my privacy." She got out of the car and followed Danny to the back of the car, to get his suitcase and backpack, and of course, her little bag. "I guess you could say this is kind of my vacation home, though."

She tried to pull the suitcase out of the truck, but Danny could tell she was struggling with it. He took the handle of the suitcase, and pulled it out himself. He was faced with a perplexed look from Lindsay. "What did you pack in there?" she asked. "Bricks?"

"No," said Danny. "My clothing, laptop, some magazines, toothbrush, toothpaste, stuff like that."

"Well, its awful heavy," said Lindsay. She threw him his backpack. "Let me guess, more magazines, an Ipod, and snacks for the plane ride?"

"You've got me all figured out, Montana," he said with a smile.

"Go on," said Lindsay, pushing him towards the front door. "I'll be there in a second."

As he waited for her at the front door, he gazed around the property. Trees grew around the house, and in the back, he could just catch a glimpse of a lake. Lindsay came to join him and followed his gaze. "Yeah, there's a lake," she said. "Do you like fishing?"

"You fish off that lake?" he asked.

"Yep," replied Lindsay, opening the door. "The lake's not there to just look at. You can swim in it too, but that's if you really want to. It's a little cold for that right now."

He walked inside of the house. "Do you happen to own horses too?"

"If I did, they'd be dead by now," said Lindsay. "I would love to own horses, but I don't have the time to take care of them. I did used to ride horses when I was a kid, though."

"You're not getting me to ride one," said Danny.

"I'm sure you'd like it, once you rode one," said Lindsay.

Danny shrugged and looked at the sight in front them. "You can leave your suitcase here, along with your backpack," she said, pointing to a spot by the front door. "Get your laptop, though, and then come to the kitchen." She walked away, obviously off to the kitchen.

Danny dropped his backpack on the floor and got his laptop, just like Lindsay had commanded him to. He took his time; stopping to look at the rooms he passed by. There was a nice living room, with a flat screen TV, and a built in fireplace. The red colored walls made the room feel homier, and he wanted to sit down on one of the couches, turn on the TV, and watch football with Lindsay. Maybe a game with her favorite team, the 49ers, even though he knew they weren't exactly the greatest football team.

He glanced at a few bedrooms, but didn't really see what they looked like inside. He made his way into the kitchen, and Lindsay was waiting for him, right at the table, with a stool pulled out for him to sit down at. "Taking your time, Messer?" she asked, and with everything she said, she had sounded more like she came from the country.

His New York accent didn't sound normal in the countryside. "Yes," he replied. "You have a lovely house." He sat down at the stool and opened up the laptop. Once he was signed in under his user and had the internet opened up, he turned to look around the room.

The kitchen walls were a brown color, matching the cabinets. There were granite countertops, the tiles a light shade of beige, and everything in the kitchen sparkled, as if the house had just been bought. "Do I want to know how much this house costs?" asked Danny.

"Probably not," said Lindsay. "Just enjoy the stay, okay? You're lucky I'm not making you pay to stay here."

He looked at the search Lindsay had just typed into Google. "Global cooling?" he questioned.

She ignored the question, and instead got up from her seat and walked over to the refrigerator. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?" she asked.

"Nah," said Danny. "I'm fine."

"Okay," said Lindsay. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and came back over to sit by him.

"Have you ever thought about golfing?" asked Danny.

She turned away from the computer to look at him. "Golfing?" she asked.

"Yeah," replied Danny. "There was a golf course we passed when we were coming from the airport."

"Oh, you mean Bridger Creek," said Lindsay. "Yeah, I've been there a few times."

"You've done everything, haven't you?"

"I haven't ever been to a foreign country," said Lindsay.

"Well, neither have I," said Danny. "So, are you good at golfing?"

"Not exactly," said Lindsay. "It's not one of my best sports, though I can't imagine you being good at golfing either."

"I've golfed," said Danny, "a few times. But I much rather prefer other sports, like…"

"…Bowling?" questioned Lindsay.

"How did you…?"

"We've been bowling before, remember? You've beaten me a few times at bowling, and I've kicked your butt a few times too."

Danny laughed. "Yeah," he admitted. "So, to get back to the computer search, why are you searching about global cooling? Shouldn't we be more concerned about global warming?"

"Before, maybe," replied Lindsay. "Now, it's global cooling that's causing this weather mix up."

"How do you know this?" asked Danny.

"Mostly from weather reports," said Lindsay. "But I've been considering something else. Doesn't it seem like this has happened before, like déjà vu?"

"No," said Danny. "Not really."

"Oh, come on, Danny," said Lindsay. "Don't you remember back in the New York, when you were watching that one movie?"

"That one movie," Danny repeated, trying to remember the movie he had watched back in the New York Crime Lab a year ago. How could he have forgotten something like that? "What was it called?"

"The day," Lindsay prompted.

"'The Day After Tomorrow'!" exclaimed Danny, standing from his seat. He grinned. "And you were scared of watching the movie…"

"I was worried about the upcoming hurricane," said Lindsay. "I've seen the movie. Not exactly the scariest around."

Lindsay opened up a website, but the closed it when Danny asked, "So what are we going to do about this?"

"Well," Lindsay said, getting up from her seat, "What you can do is go into the living room, I'm sure you've already seen it before, and wait for me while I make some popcorn."

"One question. How come your house looks so clean and you have fresh food when you haven't been here for like, what, five years?"

Lindsay smiled. "My neighbor, who is a good friend of mine, lives down the road and she said she would clean and get some food to store the refrigerator. I called her at the airport and told her that I had company coming over to my house in Montana." She paused for a moment, and then said, "Unlike you, I answer my emails."

Danny shook his head, remembering how he hadn't been very communicative with the others while working as a waiter.

He walked to the living room and immediately slouched down on the couch, happy to be able to watch the flat screen TV, with the girl he loved, even if she 'said' she didn't love him back. As he waited for her, he turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. She was soon there to join him. "I see you've already made yourself feel at home," said Lindsay. "Now scoot over, so we can begin the movie."

"What about putting the movie in the DVD player first?" Danny questioned.

She took a seat next to him. "I was thinking you could do that." She handed him the DVD.

He gladly accepted it. He put it into the DVD player and hurried to take a seat next to her. "You know," said Danny, "not everything in this movie is true."

"I know," said Lindsay. "But it'll help us understand more of how the weather will take its toll."

_Some fights, but they're getting along. We'll see how they are doing in chapters to come. Hope you liked this chapter!_

_The next chapter will finally be about Without a Trace! Yay! Jack reunites with his team after the tornadoes have passed through Chicago… How is the team doing? In the next chapter, we'll find out!_


	22. Where to Shelter?

_Thanks to Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! And now, here is the Without a Trace chapter I have been promising to put up!_

_Chapter Twenty Two: Where to Shelter?_

_FBI Department, Illinois_

"Jack!" Samantha called, rushing over to him. He turned to look at her as she ran to his side. "I've recovered the Paige Hobson files. Thank God that the tornadoes passed right over my office."

"And hit my office," said Jack.

"Well," said Samantha, "you could have moved your office closer to mine when you had the chance." She stopped, gathering all the files together to carry them in one hand. "But you refused the idea, so that's your fault."

Jack shrugged and turned to look around. "I'm just glad that everyone on our team is okay."

"Not everyone," said Samantha. "We haven't accounted for Paige yet."

"I'm sure she's fine," said Jack. "But wait, you said you recovered every file? If you had something on Paige Hobson on the computer, how would you get it…?"

Sam pointed to the laptop under the files. "I kept them on a laptop. And Paige had a few files on her desk, so she must know a little more about the case than I thought. But please, stop worrying Jack. We won't have to start over with the whole Paige Hobson case, like we had to do just a year ago."

He wasn't worried, but he knew that if the case didn't get solved soon, they may be in for some big trouble. For the last year no one knew Lindsay Monroe was also Paige Hobson, working with them at the FBI. When they did figure out her true identity, and if she was Paige Hobson, they would have to act like they hadn't known that she was pretending to be Lindsay Monroe while she worked with them, and she would go to jail. She had agreed to that. But if she was truly Lindsay Monroe, she would continue to work with them, and drop the whole Paige Hobson thing. Of course, then the real Paige Hobson would still be missing.

When he turned to look at the spot where Sam had been, she had already left. She wasn't over with the others, but by her car— which had been one of the other things of hers that hadn't been damaged by the storm—putting the files and her computer in the front seat. He wouldn't be surprised if her apartment hadn't been damaged by the storm either.

The five tornadoes that had ripped through the city of Chicago had damaged their building, but only half of it. It was strange seeing half of the building standing and the other half gone, but he was thankful that some of the building was still there. When it came to repairing the building, one half would already be there.

He looked up to the sky, where clouds of rain were still forming. It had rained earlier, but it had been a quick shower. It was their luck that it would rain again, and this time longer, and they would have no place to shelter. The half of the FBI building that was standing would have to do, but he much rather prefer to stay somewhere that was completely enclosed by walls. When he heard the sound of thunder, he guessed that their luck would soon be gone.

He went to join the rest of his team—Danny, Elena, Martin, and Vivian—to see what they were talking about. Samantha was now over by them too; she had obviously done a quick job of putting the files in her car. When he got closer to the group, he realized that they were talking about where to shelter from the rain.

"We need to find a building that hasn't been damaged by the storm," Vivian was saying, "like a public library or a school or something like that."

Martin was nodding his head. "Viv's right. This building probably won't withstand the upcoming rain."

"More rain?" questioned Jack as he walked up to the group.

"According to weather reports," replied Vivian.

"Where are you getting weather reports?" asked Jack.

Elena answered his question this time. "We're getting them from all of the weather reporters walking around here. There is a butch of camera crews, news and weather reporters reporting on the destruction of the five tornadoes."

Jack nodded, thinking that he should have known the answer to his question. It would be obvious that newscasters and weather reporters would be out right now, covering the latest storm.

"Now that we've answered that question," said Danny, "shouldn't we focus on where we're going?"

This time, Jack knew the answer to the question. "Ask one of the weather reporters or newscasters if they know a place where people are sheltering," he explained. "Then we'll go there."

"Good idea, Jack," Samantha commented. "I'll go ask one of the reporters."

As she left, the others still talked of a place to go. Jack ignored the conversation, and instead looked up at the clouds. He hoped the rain would pass over them and cause trouble for some other city that hadn't been affected by the storm. But after hearing the thunder continuously rumble through the sky, he had a feeling that the storm wouldn't pass by. A slight breeze picked up, and soon it began to lightly rain. Jack shivered.

When he saw a glimpse of Samantha, he smiled. She was running, and she had already gotten soaked by the rain, even though it wasn't a heavy downpour. As she ran over to the group, she yelled, "I found a place. The Chicago Public Library didn't get hit by the storm, and that's where they have a lot of people gathering."

"Good," said Danny.

"Wait a minute," said Martin. "How are we going to get there?"

"By walking," said Elena with a shrug.

"Well," said Samantha, coming to stand by Martin, "I do have a car. But unfortunately I can't take all of you at once to the library. Either two of you are going to have to stay here and wait for me, or we can find another car that hasn't been wrecked by the storm, for example, a police car."

"That's probably a better idea," said Vivian. "I'm not going to wait out in the rain or in that half wrecked FBI building."

"Okay," said Danny. "Now, we've got to find a police car that hasn't been damaged or is temporarily being used."

"Found one," said Elena, who had already drifted away from the group. She was standing besides Samantha's car, pointing to a police car across the street. "It looks like one of our own. I guess Samantha didn't exactly see it when she walked to her car earlier."

"And how lucky for her that her car was the only one out of the team that didn't get wrecked," Martin joked.

Samantha shook her head. "Okay, we can split up. Three can come with me and three can drive in the police car."

"Well, let's do it how we had it at the airport, a year back," said Vivian. "Danny, Martin, and I will take the police car; Elena and Jack, you guys take Sam's car."

"Okay," Samantha agreed. She nodded to Jack and headed over to her car.

They quickly huddled into the car, glad to get away from the rain, and drove off to the library. _We made it just in time_, Jack thought as he gazed out the window. The rain had started to pour, and he wouldn't have wanted to get stuck outside, still waiting for Samantha to bring the news of where to go.

_Hope you liked this chapter!_

_Chapter 23-Cuddy, Cameron, and Chase have driven to Thirteen's apartment to see if she has survived the storm. But what they expected is no where near to what they find…_


	23. Searching For Thirteen

_Thanks to lily moonlight and Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! And a late Happy Halloween to everyone!! :)_

_Chapter Twenty Three: Searching For Thirteen_

_Thirteen's Apartment_

Rain soaked the three of them as they scrambled out of the car. When they had driven up to Thirteen's apartment, there hadn't even been an apartment. There was a big pile of debris, and that was all.

They met up at the front of the apartment, or where it was supposed to be, and discussed on who was going where. Cameron suggested on having Cuddy stay near the front of the apartment and search there, but she refused. Cameron had let her make the decision of coming here, she would decide on where she was going to search. So they came to their decision: Cameron would stay at the front of the apartment, while Chase searched around the yard, and Cuddy would search the back of the apartment.

As they searched through the debris of the apartment, the rain began to come down heavier, which made Chase angry, but lately, everything seemed to bother him. The rain made the search for Thirteen even more desperate. No matter what, they would find Thirteen, even if she was at her apartment or not. But after what had seemed like hours of searching and experiencing rain, Cuddy found Thirteen. And she didn't expect to find her the way she did.

She was buried under a butch of debris, unconscious. There was no way Cuddy could remove the debris from her by herself; she needed help. She looked around, but she couldn't see either Cameron or Chase. She cleared her throat, and tried to yell out, "Help!" but she didn't know how loud she had yelled, because she couldn't hear her own voice. She tried to whistle too, but she didn't think that would have helped either. Unexpectedly, Cameron and Chase appeared at her side.

"What happened?" Cameron signed.

Cuddy nodded to the pile of debris under which Thirteen lay. "I need help to remove the debris," she signed. "Thirteen's under there."

Cameron nodded to Chase, and they removed the debris from Thirteen's body. Once they had removed all of the debris from her, Chase checked her pulse. _"She still has a pulse."_

"_Okay, we've found her, now we have to get her to a hospital,"_ Cameron yelled above the noise of the thunder.

"_We don't have time to take her to a hospital!"_ exclaimed Chase._ "The hospitals are probably not even open after the tornadoes! We have to go_ _back to your apartment!"_

"_Not with the floods," _said Cameron. _"My apartment could easily get flooded. We need to_ _shelter somewhere and hope there is medical equipment where we go."_

"_Cuddy?"_ yelled Chase. _"You decide!"_

Again, they were letting her take charge. She looked around the landscape of the demolished houses and came to her decision. "We find a place to shelter," she signed. "Cameron's right; her apartment won't withstand the flood waters."

As Cameron interpreted what Cuddy had just said to Chase, they both nodded. Then they ran back to the car. Chase sat in the backseat with Thirteen in his arms. Cameron and Cuddy stayed in the front seat, with Cameron driving. She quickly started the car and drove off to the next closest building that was still standing that they could find: The Chicago Public Library.

_Kind of short, but I hope you liked it!_

_The next chapter will be about Danny and Lindsay. Their meeting was good, but now they may begin arguing with each other again..._


	24. What Will Happen

_Thanks to Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, even though it was short! :)_

_Chapter Twenty Four: What Will Happen_

_Lindsay Monroe's House, Bozeman, Montana_

The movie had ended, and now the credits were rolling. Lindsay had already left the living room and was in the kitchen, on the computer again. Danny hadn't wanted to get up from the couch, so he decided to watch the ending credits, even though it was really nothing important. He was too busy admiring the living room and the TV. He wished that he could have a house as nice as Lindsay's. He quickly finished the last of the popcorn and went into the kitchen to join Lindsay.

"Hey Lindsay," he said as he walked into the kitchen. "Are you having any luck at that search?"

She sighed. "I guess."

"What's the sigh, 'I guess', thing all about?" asked Danny.

"You know how Chicago got hit by five tornadoes?"

Danny nodded.

"Well there's more rain to come," Lindsay explained. "There's going to be flooding, just like in the movie, when New York got flooded. Lake Michigan has already started flooding, so that makes the possibility of flooding more likely. And then…" She paused, sighing again. "And then the freezing weather…"

"Wait a minute, you don't think that snows and freezing temperatures enough to kill someone are going to happen, do you?" asked Danny.

Lindsay nodded. "That's exactly what's going to happen, Danny."

"Wait, the entire Northern Hemisphere is going to freeze, just like in the movie?"

"Yes," Lindsay replied.

He came over to join her by the computer, pulling up a stool to sit on. "Why would you come here to Montana then, when it's in the Northern Hemisphere? And why not evacuate to Mexico, just like in the movie?"

"Not everything in the movie is going to happen," said Lindsay. "In the movie, New York was flooded, and then snows and freezing temperatures caused everyone in the city to stay inside. That didn't happen to us. New York City got flooded by a hurricane. No freezing weather or snows there at all. And tornadoes devastated Los Angeles in the movie, not Chicago."

"They never mentioned anything about Chicago in the movie though," Danny pointed out. "Maybe would should see if there were heavy rains in Russia and hail the size of baseballs in Japan."

"Danny, you don't get it," said Lindsay. "Not everything in that movie is to believe. The movie itself is not going to show us how the weather is going to affect us in the real world. We can't believe everything. What we have to trust is the weather reports and newscasts on the storm. Remember, we just watched that movie to see the possibility of how the weather would take its toll."

"But Lindsay, is Montana going to be affected by this freezing weather?" questioned Danny.

Lindsay lowered her head, but didn't say anything.

"Is Montana going to be affected by this?" demanded Danny.

Lindsay hesitated, but then nodded.

"What?" Danny questioned. "Why did you bring us here, then?"

"I had to bring you here," said Lindsay. "We can't just go to Mexico, or some place I've never heard of. I had to come here because it was the only place I knew that would be safe. And really Danny, this is the only place that I know of that is safe."

"But what about freezing in the cold when the snows strike?"

"We'll prepare for it," said Lindsay. "Trust me, we're going to be much safer here than in Chicago."

Danny wasn't convinced. He knew why Lindsay had brought him to Montana. "The only reason why you brought me here was because you wanted to be alone with me, because you do love me!"

"Danny, you idiot," scoffed Lindsay. "You know that's not true. I told you that I liked you as a friend, not as my boyfriend."

"Maybe you lied," said Danny.

Lindsay moved the laptop so he could see a map of the United States. It showed the showers, which were moving into the Midwest and the East, while snows consumed much of the West, and the South was being hit by hurricanes. Out of all the states, it showed that Montana would only receive a few snow flurries, which was normal for their weather, since it was October. "Do you believe me now?" she questioned.

"Actually I don't," said Danny. "Now I'm starting to wonder if this snow and freezing weather is normal. It is winter, you know."

"It's still fall, Danny," said Lindsay. "But do tornadoes come in fives and hit a city during the fall or the winter? Does every state in the US get heavy snowfall and freezing temps, even in Florida? That doesn't sound very normal to me, Messer."

Danny shrugged. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

Lindsay pulled out her cell phone. "We're going to call, correction, I'm going to call Mac and Stella, and warn them about this. You can go lounge around the house, since that's the only thing you can do that is helpful. I would let you cook dinner, but you might burn down my house. Then we wouldn't have a place to shelter anymore."

"Fine," said Danny, standing up. "I'll go watch football or something on your TV, since you don't mind. But your electric bill might go up, just to warn you." He stalked off, letting her sit alone in the kitchen.

Lindsay watched him walk away. She couldn't seem to get along with him anymore; they had already fought with each other enough times today. But he was being such a jerk, thinking the only reason she had brought him here was because she loved him. That was the reason why she would never tell him about her being both Lindsay Monroe and Paige Hobson, because he would think it was some stupid story for him to feel sorry for her. And why did he think she would care about the electric bill, when the weather could kill them first before she even had time to pay it off? Besides, she would make him pay for it if the bill went up.

She dialed Stella's number, and waited for an answer. She didn't get an answer the first time, but after she called a second time, Stella answered.

_Hope you guys liked it! _

_A/N: Sorry for the long absences! I've been getting a ton of homework and projects lately from school, and I can't update as fast as I want anymore. But I promise to update much sooner! In the next chapter, the doctors and FBI agents will meet up with Mac and Stella at the Chicago Public Library. The next chapter should be up either tomorrow or Tuesday!_


	25. Safe For Now

_Thanks to Aly and lily moonlight for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Twenty Five: Safe For Now _

_Chicago Public Library_

"Lindsay?" Stella asked as she recognized her number.

"Yes, it's me," replied Lindsay.

"Are you okay?" asked Stella. "Where are you?"

On the other end of the phone, Lindsay laughed. "One question at a time, do you expect me to answer two at the same time?"

"Lindsay," said Stella. "Seriously, just give me the news."

"Okay," replied Lindsay. "To answer your first question, I'm fine. And where I am, is in Montana. Danny, the pain in the butt jerk, is here with me too. I called him last night to tell him to go to Montana, and he trusted my judgment, and came here."

"And was your judgment good?" asked Stella.

"To Danny, no, but for me, yes," Lindsay said.

"Which is the answer, yes or no?"

"Yes," said Lindsay. "Montana was a good place to go. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you Stel; I would have come if I knew where you were. I mean, you were probably at your apartment, but I didn't know that for sure."

"It's okay Lindsay," said Stella. "I'm just glad that you're okay. But to tell you where I am now, I'm in the Chicago Public Library. So you checked into a hotel with Danny?"

"Actually, no," said Lindsay. "I have a house I own in Montana. That's where we are now. And Danny is watching TV in the living room, acting like the lazy butt he is. He threatened that the electric bill would go up because that's all he was going to do while he was here. He didn't believe that Montana was a safe place to evacuate to."

"I'm betting he likes you," said Stella, looking out the doors of the library. She was waiting for Mac, who had gone outside to a store nearby, to get some supplies. He had been gone for a long time now, and it was making Stella apprehensive.

"Yeah, but I don't like him," said Lindsay.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Shut up Stella," said Lindsay. "Besides, I didn't call you to talk about Danny."

Stella thought she saw Mac outside, but it was another one of the stupid newscasters reporting the damage of the storm. "What did you call for then?"

"The weather," said Lindsay. "To warn you about what's to come."

"Don't tell me more tornadoes are going to hit," said Stella.

"No, but there's a bunch of rain coming your way," said Lindsay. "And reports say that Lake Michigan is already flooded."

"Wait, floods?" questioned Stella.

"Yeah," replied Lindsay. "But that's not all. You've seen 'The Day after Tomorrow', right?"

"Yes," said Stella.

"Remember when the floods hit New York in the movie?" asked Lindsay.

Stella wasn't able to answer, because Lindsay went on talking. But she already knew what was going to come after the floods; she remembered it from the movie. "Well, after the major flooding, freezing weather will move in, and it'll start to snow. No one will be able to go outside, or they'll freeze. Of course I'm not saying that's going to happen exactly like that, but you should be prepared. You said you're in the Chicago Public Library, right?"

"Me and about a million other people," replied Stella.

"Is there a fireplace?"

"Yeah," said Stella.

"Well, just like in the movie, you're going to have to keep yourself warm. You can throw books into the fire, so it doesn't go out. I'm sure there'll be plenty of them there. And make sure you don't go outside, because the flooding could get bad when you least expect it."

"Okay," said Stella.

"Hey, did you ever find Flack and Hawkes?"

"Yeah, they found their way to the library too."

"What about Samantha?" Lindsay asked, "And Jack Malone? You know, the people I work with?"

"No, sorry," replied Stella. "I'll call you again if I see them." Suddenly, she thought she saw a glimpse of Mac running towards the library, but realized that it was someone else. And five other people were following that person. "Wait, Lindsay, I think I may see Samantha."

The person that was running towards the building was Samantha, and when she entered the library, she was soaking wet. She looked up at her. "Stella?"

Stella nodded. "Samantha's here, Lindsay. She's with the rest of her team."

"Thank God," Lindsay said into the phone.

"You're talking to Lindsay?" asked Samantha.

Stella nodded. "What's going on out there?"

"Raining," replied Elena. Stella quickly smiled to her in a way of her thanks for answering her question.

"The rain is starting to flood the streets," said Jack.

"What's going on Stella?" asked Lindsay.

"It's flooding, like you said," replied Stella. "Lindsay, I have to go. Can I call you back at a later time?"

"Wait, how bad are the floods?" Lindsay asked.

More people pushed through the door, none of them Mac. This worried Stella even more. But what caught Stella's attention was that one of the people that came through the door was carrying a person in their arms. "Is she all right?" Stella asked the guy.

"Wait, who is all right," questioned Lindsay. "Is Samantha hurt or something?"

He looked up at her. "She's unconscious, but she still has a pulse."

The woman standing besides him looked at her too. She had blond hair, and she quickly put her hand out to introduce herself. "Dr. Allison Cameron. And this is Robert Chase, and the woman standing next to him is Lisa Cuddy."

"Stella, is Samantha hurt?" Lindsay asked again on the other end of the phone.

Again, Stella ignored the question. She looked at the other woman besides Chase. She had black hair, now pulled back into a ponytail. She hadn't looked at Cameron when she was introducing her; instead she had just looked around her, like no one had mentioned her name. This act surprised Stella.

"And the girl that's in your arms?" asked Samantha.

"Well," said Cameron, "we call her Thirteen. We don't exactly know her real name. She never told us."

"Thirteen?" questioned Jack.

"She was in a competition, and that was her number," replied Cameron.

Jack nodded.

"Um, we should probably move from the entrance so we don't block it from other people," said Vivian.

"Yeah," agreed Samantha.

Lindsay was still asking her question on the phone. "Earth to Stella, are you still there? Is everyone all right?"

Stella didn't answer. Instead, she made a break for the door. Samantha immediately turned around. "Stella, where are you going?"

"To find Mac," she yelled to her. She burst out the doors, gazing at the now flooding streets. But that wasn't the only thing that had started to flood. She looked down to her feet and saw that the water from the rain was starting to form puddles on the stairs. She had to find Mac and soon, before it would be impossible to walk through the streets.

She ran for the street, which became harder as the water came to her knees. She looked around for Mac, but she didn't see him. From the phone, she could her Lindsay yelling, "Stella? Stella? Are you all right? What's going on?"

"Mac!" yelled Stella. "Mac, where are you?"

"Mac?" questioned Lindsay. "I thought everyone was inside? Wait, are _you_ outside?"

Stella collapsed onto a car, and began to cry. She couldn't lose Mac, not now. But Lindsay wasn't going to let her give up. "Don't cry, Stella. I've taught myself that crying does nothing but bring more pain. Find Mac and get yourself back into the building!"

With tears rolling down her face, Stella searched the flooding streets for him. In the midst of it all, she could see him, standing in the streets by a bunch of deserted cars. "I found him," Stella said into the phone.

"Good," Lindsay replied. "Now hurry and go to the library!"

She waded through the water, over to him. "Mac, thank God you're all right!" she exclaimed. When he didn't answer, she said his name again. "Mac?"

Mac just pointed ahead of him, and when she saw what he was talking about, she gasped. She held the phone close to her ear. "Tell Horatio Caine your location. He is coming to Montana."

"Okay," said Lindsay. "But Stella, don't wait forever! Hurry up and get inside before the flood waters are too high!"

"Lindsay, I think we're too late for that," said Stella, looking at the sight in front of her.

"Why?" questioned Lindsay. "What's happening?"

"There's an enormous wave heading straight for us," said Stella.

"What…?"

Stella hung up and grabbed Mac's arm, pulling him away from the street. They ran through the water as fast as they could, which was now waist deep and still rising. When they had reached the steps of the library, they signaled to the others inside to back away from the door. Samantha turned to the others and yelled, "Get back from the door, now!"

As they ran further away from the entrance, Samantha opened the door for Mac and Stella. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"The flood waters are rising," replied Mac.

"And there's a huge wave heading straight for this building," said Stella.

"Oh God," whispered Samantha.

Stella looked behind her to see the water seeping through the crack of the door. "We need to get away from the door, now!" She took Mac's hand and together they ran for lobby of the library, where all the people were sheltering from the storm. As they ran to find Flack and Hawkes, Samantha stayed behind them, quickly closing the doors so the water wouldn't get in. She let out a sigh of relief and looked at the gathering crowd. _We are safe now, _she thought, _but not for long._

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I actually updated on time! Yay! The big enormous wave hitting the building thing sounds very unbelievable and probably won't ever happen, but in the movie 'The Day after Tomorrow' a huge wave hits the library they're sheltering in, in New York City if you don't remember. Anyway, the next chapter should be up tomorrow or Wednesday! Horatio and Calleigh will arrive in Montana (along with the rest of the team, but they aren't mentioned as much) and they'll talk with Lindsay and Danny. And Danny may come close to figuring out Lindsay's secret..._


	26. Mentions of the Past

_Thanks to Aly, lily moonlight, and Bulletgirl1723 for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Horatio and Calleigh will be in this chapter!_

_Chapter Twenty Six: Mentions of the Past _

_Lindsay Monroe's House, Bozeman, Montana_

"Stella!" cried Lindsay. She let the phone slide through her hand, dropping to the floor. She put her head down, allowing herself to cry again, even though she had done it too much in her life. As she cried, she was reminded of her life, being both Lindsay Monroe and Paige Hobson. She was turning into the person she had been a year ago, afraid of her own shadow and thinking crying helped everything go away.

In the other room, Danny was watching TV, just like he had told Lindsay he would do. When he heard her cries from the kitchen, he immediately sprang up from the couch and ran back into the kitchen. He didn't care about the argument they had just had, he just wanted to make sure Lindsay was all right. "Lindsay?" he asked. "What happened?"

Lindsay lifted her head, letting him see the tears roll down her face. But she didn't want comfort, instead she yelled, "Daniel Messer, I told you to go watch TV or something! Your help is not needed here!"

"Shouldn't I be a little concerned when I hear you crying in the kitchen?" asked Danny. "Like, maybe you got hurt or something?"

"I guess you shouldn't be concerned," said Lindsay. "It was a mistake bringing you here."

"Forget the argument!" Danny yelled. "You obviously didn't bring me here to fight with you all day. We came here for a purpose, to help the others in Chicago with the storm. I came here to Montana because I trusted you, because I knew you were going to do something to help. Lindsay, that's the kind of person you are, you help others.

"Crying isn't going to help anything. Pretending I'm not here isn't going to help anything. But if you let me help you, we'll be able to help the others around the world. So, Lindsay, can I…no, may I help you?"

Lindsay looked at him, the last of her tears rolling down her face. She blinked a few times, and then a slight smile appeared across her face. She answered in a whisper. "Of course, Danny, you may help me."

He walked over to her, grabbing the cell phone off the floor and putting it in her hands. She nodded her thanks, but even the smile that had shown on her face was gone. Her expression was plaintive, which reminded him of a year ago, when they had just landed in Chicago. And as he looked into her tear filled eyes, he could tell there was a secret hidden there, the real reason on why she had been mad at him for this past year. "There's something bothering you, isn't there?" he asked.

Lindsay shook her head. "It's just this storm…"

"I'm not talking about the storm," said Danny. "There's something else."

"Really Danny, it's nothing," said Lindsay.

"Well, if that's what you say," said Danny. "But may I ask you something?"

Lindsay nodded.

"Why did you cry at the end of the flight back in Chicago? During the day of the evacuation a year ago, you seemed to cry at everything. What was the reason for that?"

Lindsay wiped the tears from her eyes. "Danny," she whispered. "There are some things that you won't understand. It…it just doesn't concern you right now."

"Okay," said Danny. "So, to get back to the phone call, did something happen to Mac and Stella?"

"The flood waters were getting bad," replied Lindsay. "And before Stella hung up, there was a massive wave heading straight for them. I think they made it back to the library, but I don't know for sure."

"Wait, they're at a library?" asked Danny.

Lindsay nodded.

"So when the weather does get bad, they'll have the books to throw in the fireplace to keep them warm?"

"Yeah," replied Lindsay. "But there was something else. Stella asked someone if they were all right, but she never told me who she was talking about. So someone's injured, which isn't good."

Danny nodded. "Well, what's the next thing we can do?"

"Call Horatio Caine," Lindsay answered. "I told him to come here, so I'm expecting he'll be here soon. I need to tell him where I live, so he can stay here."

"Can't he just stay in a hotel?" asked Danny.

"Danny, don't start arguing with me again," Lindsay pleaded.

Danny handed Lindsay her cell phone. "Do you have his number?"

"Fortunately, I memorized his number," said Lindsay. "Stella had called him the night before the tornadoes hit Chicago to warn him about the weather in Miami. That's how I got his number."

"I'll go in the other room and watch the Weather Channel, to see how the weather in Montana is going to be like for the next few days," said Danny.

Lindsay nodded her thanks.

Danny walked back into the living room, changed the channel, and settled down on the couch again. He heard the same weather report that he had heard from Lindsay, a few snow flurries during the night. But what got his attention was the weather around the world. Hurricanes had permanently destroyed the state of Florida, Las Vegas was so cold that all of the casinos and hotels had to close, typhoons hit the coast of China, pounding them with rain and hail the size of golf balls, and out of it all, the temperatures were starting to drop to an all time low, showing signs that the Northern Hemisphere may begin to freeze. All of the meteorologists and climatologists were saying global warming _and_ global cooling were the cause of the weather mess up. Danny didn't want to believe it; he wished everything could be normal, that the hurricane had never hit New York, and he was working as a CSI investigator, with Lindsay by his side. But he knew nothing would be normal anymore; everything was taking a turn for the worst.

And there was still something Lindsay was keeping from him, a secret that had kept them apart for so long. He closed his eyes, trying to think of what was the possible reason for Lindsay's constant crying a year ago. He couldn't think of anything, and soon, he fell asleep, leaving the weathermen bicker about how the storm would take turn.

It wasn't long before he woke up again. When he did, he heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. He got up from the couch and looked outside the window. Not only did he see the car that had pulled up in the driveway, but he saw snow falling from the night sky, and the ground was already a pure snowy white. He looked at the clock, which read six thirty, and realized he had been asleep for three hours. "Lindsay!" he called. "I think Horatio is here."

Lindsay appeared in the living room. She had a pink Montana sweatshirt on, with sweatpants, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her hair was messy, and she looked like she had just woken up herself. "I know," she whispered. "I was just coming in here to wake you up."

"Did you see it was snowing?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lindsay replied. She coughed, and then turned away, walking to the front door. Danny knew she still hadn't gotten over the sadness she was feeling, and he wondered if coming to Montana had made it worse. Maybe there was some memory in Montana that had bothered her for such a long time, and when she moved to New York, she was able to forget it. He wondered how Horatio would react to it, if he would try to comfort her.

He heard the door open, and then a friendly, "Hello." But he didn't just hear Horatio's and Lindsay's voice, he heard a voice from someone he had never met before. He quickly ran into the other room to join Lindsay.

She turned to him when he entered the room. "Danny," she said joyfully, all the sadness in her voice gone. In her eyes he could still see her pain, but to Horatio, he was sure he would never notice.

"Hi," he replied quickly.

"So this is Danny Messer from the New York Crime Lab?" the new voice asked.

Danny turned to the woman. "Yeah," he answered.

"Calleigh Duquesne," she said. "It's nice to meet you."

Danny shook hands with her and then turned to look at Horatio. Both Horatio and Calleigh were dressed nicely, while he and Lindsay looked like they had just woken up from a three years rest. Lindsay didn't seem to mind; she still seemed more focused on her issue that was a secret to all of them. She directed them towards the kitchen and offered them coffee. Calleigh and Horatio gladly accepted it; Danny decided to have some water instead.

They sat at the table in the kitchen, quiet and still. Lindsay decided to break the silence. "How was the weather like in Miami when you left?"

"Rainy," replied Calleigh. "The worst of it didn't start until after our plane left."

"Did the rest of your team evacuate safely?"

"Actually, they're here in Montana," said Calleigh. "But they decided to check into a hotel in Billings."

Lindsay nodded. "It's good to hear everyone's all right."

"You say this weather is going to get worse, right Lindsay?" asked Horatio.

"Yes," replied Lindsay. "The entire Northern Hemisphere could end up freezing."

Danny took a sip of his water. When he looked up, he was faced with a stare from Calleigh. "Danny, you've been quiet," she said. "What's your take on the weather?"

"Really, I don't know much," he said. "Lindsay's the one who has been doing all of the research."

Lindsay was swirling a spoon in her coffee. "Global warming and global cooling, that's all I've heard from the weather reports. But really, I don't know for certain that the entire Northern Hemisphere is going to freeze. We should prepare though, incase the weather does get worse here."

"Have you ever seen 'The Day after Tomorrow'?" Danny asked Calleigh and Horatio.

They both nodded.

"Well, that's how my take is on the weather," said Danny. "And that's how the weather has been acting. First there were floods, and the snow and freezing temperatures devastated New York."

"There wasn't flooding in Montana," Calleigh pointed out.

"Not here no," said Lindsay. "But in Chicago, where the rest of our team is, floods have already strike the city."

"And there were tornadoes, right?" asked Horatio.

Lindsay nodded.

"How long do you presume that this freezing weather is going to last?" asked Calleigh.

"To tell you the truth," said Lindsay, "I'm not really sure. But it could be a long time, so we'll need to get a lot of supplies that will last for months."

"We'll gather supplies tomorrow," said Horatio. "But right now, we should eat. I'll help with dinner."

Lindsay smiled. "Thank you."

"What shall we eat?" asked Calleigh.

"Steaks would be good," said Danny.

Lindsay narrowed her eyebrows. "Have you been looking at my fridge, Messer?"

"Maybe," he said with a shrug.

"We should save that for when we need it most," said Horatio. "What else is there to eat?"

"Pizzas," said Lindsay. "It's simple and easy to make."

"That'll be good," said Calleigh.

"Okay, so it has been decided," Danny announced. "Pizza it is."

They all helped in making the pizza. They laughed, joking about days at work and funny things that they had done. They talked about everything except the weather, which made Danny feel less worried and even he began talk more. But Lindsay stayed quiet, and only laughed at a few things. She was obviously still worried about Mac and Stella back in Chicago, but he knew that wasn't the only thing that was bothering her.

As the night proceeded on, they got more tired, and soon went off to bed. Lindsay had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room, with the remote in her hands. Danny came to turn off the lights and realized that she wasn't asleep, just trying to cry silently into a pillow. And her cries weren't silent.

"Lindsay," he whispered.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "I didn't mean to do that. No, I just wanted you to be safe from _them_."

"Lindsay, it's okay," said Danny. "Everything is going to be all right. We're safe, trust me, we're all right."

"No, we're not safe," Lindsay whispered. "We couldn't run from them anymore, Adisa, one of us was bound to get hurt if I didn't do that."

"Adisa?" questioned Danny.

"Of course, Adisa, it's me, Paige," whispered Lindsay. "Have you already forgotten about me?"

"Paige?" whispered Danny.

"Who else would it be…?" Lindsay lifted her head from the pillow, her face panic stricken. "Danny?" she asked.

"Yes, that's me," said Danny. "Who are Adisa and Paige?"

"Two people you're not supposed to know about," whispered Lindsay. Her voice rose to an angry yell. "Go. Leave."

"Lindsay, I didn't mean…"

"Just leave me alone, okay? Just stop trying to help me! _Go!_"

Danny backed away from the couch, turning off the lights as he walked out of the room. He settled into one of the empty guest bedrooms, trying his best to forget the names Adisa and Paige. He lay down on the bed, closing his eyes to think. _Had she just had a hallucination?_ He thought. _Or were those two people the reason she had been crying all this time about?_

_Chapter 27- Lilly and Scotty make an attempt to save Mac, Stella, Cuddy, and the others at the library. Will they be able to get them out of the library and to a safer place?_

_A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Another mention of the Lindsay/Paige identity thing...I won't tell you who she really is; you'll have to read on to find out! Two random notes: Who saw the CSI: NY Promo for next week? I won't say anything about it, for those who haven't seen the promo yet. Can't wait for that episode! Anyone see this week's House episode and the promo for next week? A hostage situation at Princeton Plainsboro. I hope House ends up all right! (That's all I'll say about those episodes.) Anyway, the next chapter should be up either tommorrow or Sunday! Thanks for the reviews! :)_


	27. Waiting

_Thanks to Aly and Bulletgirl1723 for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter!_

_Chapter Twenty Seven: Waiting_

_Rockford Police Department, Illinois_

Lilly turned off the light on her desk. When she looked up, she saw Scotty standing by her desk. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," Lilly said back.

Scotty stared at her for a while and then spoke up again. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I guess I was a little negative."

"Hey, everyone can get a little negative sometimes," said Lilly. "I guess I was a little too caring."

"No one can get a little too caring," said Scotty. "Though I did figure out where both Lisa and Stella are from a text message Stella sent to me. But I still haven't found out about if my friend's okay."

Lilly nodded. "So, where are Lisa and Stella?"

"The Chicago Public Library," replied Scotty.

"Do you think we should go and see how they're doing?"

"I wish we could Lil," said Scotty. "But Chicago is virtually inaccessible right now. Floods have claimed the city. We're going to have to evacuate soon though, and a good place to go to would be Montana."

"And where did you hear this?" asked Lilly.

"Stella said that Special Agent Lindsay Monroe is giving her the information on the storm and that's where she is currently staying. She said that Lindsay said Montana is the safest place to go right now."

"What's going to happen to us if we stay here?" asked Lilly.

"Well, you've seen 'The Day after Tomorrow', right?" asked Scotty.

"Yeah," replied Lilly.

"Then that's how the weather's going to end up," said Scotty.

"But Montana is going to freeze from the snow too," said Lilly. "It's in the Northern Hemisphere. And according to the movie, the safest place to go was Mexico."

"Not everything that happened in the movie is going to end up happening to us," said Scotty. "But right now, Montana is the safest place to go."

Lilly leaned back in her chair. "Scotty, we can't just leave the others alone in Chicago. We have to help them."

"We should," agreed Scotty.

Lilly raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Do you have an idea on how to get to Chicago?"

"Actually I do," said Scotty. "If we call for help maybe we could get a few helicopters to bring us there and rescue the people from Chicago. We'll take them back here and then they can go off their separate ways, evacuating where they want to."

She smiled. "Good thinking, Valens. Let's get on the phone and start calling for help."

* * *

Below them the city of Chicago lay, drowning in the floods. The winds blew against the helicopter fiercely, making the helicopter shake back and forth in the sky. The clouds in the sky showed no signs of moving; they would bring snows to Chicago, along with freezing cold temperatures. Lilly turned to look at Scotty and smiled. They had made it to Chicago, and now the helicopters would be able to save the people sheltering in the library from the rising storm.

Flying lower to find a place to land, they were soon able to get inside the public library. Lilly got off the helicopter first, and immediately rushed inside. She realized that some of the library had been flooded. She quickly ran to find the immense crowd, huddled around the library's many shelves of books.

She yelled, "Excuse me, if I could get your attention please." The crowd quieted and turned to look at her. "I'm Detective Lilly Rush, from Rockford PD. My partner, Detective Scotty Valens will soon be here. I'm looking for Detective Stella Bonasera and Dr. Lisa Cuddy?"

In the crowd, she could see Stella immediately run over to her. She saw that Dr. Allison Cameron had to sign to Cuddy that she was there, since she couldn't hear her. Stella was soon by her side; Cuddy took a few more minutes to get there.

"Lilly?" asked Stella. "How did you get here?"

"By helicopter," replied Lilly. "We may be able to get everyone evacuated out of here."

Cuddy was now by Stella's side. She smiled to her and Lilly nodded. She looked behind her when she saw Cuddy gazing passed her.

Scotty was running over to her. "Lil, I have to tell you something…"

"What is it, Scotty?" asked Lilly.

"The weather, it's getting pretty bad now, the winds are picking up and the chances of getting everyone on the helicopters safely are next to none," explained Scotty. "We can't evacuate. We're going to have to wait."

"Wait?" questioned Stella. "We don't have time to wait."

"How long Scotty?" asked Lilly.

"Four days," replied Scotty.

"Shoot," Lilly mumbled. She turned to look at Stella and Cuddy. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."

"It's okay," said Stella. "The thing that matters is that you tried."

"So," said Scotty. "Do we have a place to rest?"

"Yes," replied Stella. "Follow me."

Cuddy, Lilly, and Scotty followed Stella through a desolate hallway, and then stopped to knock on a wooden door. The door opened, revealing a new face. "Yes?" the voice answered.

"You know it's me Flack," said Stella. "Now let me in."

The door opened wider and the four of them walked in. Stella quickly introduced Lilly and Scotty to the others, and then they sat down at some chairs to talk. Lilly glanced over to the couch near the fireplace, where a motionless body lay. "Who's that?" she asked Stella.

"Thirteen," replied Stella.

"Thirteen?" questioned Lilly.

Stella looked at Cameron. She sighed. "She was in a competition to who was going to be in the final three of Dr. House's staff and that happened to be her number. No one knows her real name. Didn't I tell you of Thirteen before, Lilly?"

Lilly shook her head. "Lisa only mentioned her name before."

Stella glanced at Cuddy, who again hadn't responded to her name, and then turned to Lilly. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I've realized that Lisa doesn't respond to her name. Are you sure that's her name?"

Cameron and Lilly laughed. "Watch," said Cameron. She walked over to Cuddy and signed, "How's Thirteen?"

Cuddy signed back, "She's still unconscious. Chase hasn't reported anything to me. If you want to know her condition, I would ask him."

Lilly had to translate this to Stella. "She can't hear," she told her.

The expression on Stella's face turned to shock. "Oh, I…I guess I should have known that…" She got up from her chair and walked over to Flack and Scotty. Lilly hurried to join them.

"I don't know Scotty, I'm not sure we're going to make it for four days," Flack was saying.

"We'll be fine, I know we will," reassured Scotty.

Lilly smiled; she was glad he wasn't using his negativity around the others. A new thought struck her mind: How was the rest of her team dealing with the weather? Could John, Kat, Nick and Will possibly be stuck in the terrible weather the storm brought?

"We are going to make it through this storm," said Stella. "Lindsay will keep giving us information on the storm, telling us what to do and what to expect. We can't give up hope, not just yet."

"And we have help coming for us," Lilly pointed out.

Scotty and Stella nodded. Flack, on the other hand, decided to protest. "The help may never come," he said. "They may get stuck in the storm as well."

"Flack!" exclaimed Stella.

"Hey, I'm just trying to point out the other possibilities," said Flack.

"Like I said, we need hope, not discourage," said Stella.

A cough from the couch interrupted their conversation. They turned to look at the sight. "She's awake," Hawkes announced from the couch.

Even though Lilly barely knew Thirteen, she hurried over to the couch to join the others. "Where am I?" she heard Thirteen saying. "What's going on?"

"You were unconscious," said Hawkes.

"Your apartment had gotten hit by one of the tornadoes that ripped through Chicago," explained Chase. "You were hit unconscious and then buried under a bunch of debris."

Thirteen coughed again. "So, where I am?"

"In the Chicago Public Library," replied Hawkes.

"Why am I there…?" She coughed again. "Shouldn't I be…home…?"

"Here, you should have some water," said Chase, giving her a glass of water. She took the glass from him and, with her hands shaky, took a sip of the water.

Lilly could hear Flack mumbling. "Another one of our supplies that won't last…"

They left Thirteen alone, with both Chase and Hawkes. They dispersed around the room, finding a place to rest, since it was getting late. Soon everyone was sleeping, and the fire burning in the fireplace was enough to keep them all warm. Only Stella found it hard to sleep, thinking of what was to come.

The weather didn't seem to be clearing up, and their only chances of help had been forgotten. She wanted so badly for all of this to be a dream and she hoped she would wake up from it as soon as she closed her eyes. She gazed at Mac, who was sleeping peacefully next to her. As she stared at him, she soon found herself forgetting all of her problems and finally, she was able to fall asleep.

_A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! In the next chapter, we'll see how Lindsay, Danny, Horatio, and Calleigh are doing in Montana. It should be up either tomorrow or Tuesday!_


	28. Talking To An Old Friend

_Thanks to Bulletgirl1723, Aly, and lily moonlight for reviewing. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. (I'm glad you liked the nickname too :) ) Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Chapter Twenty Eight: Talking To An Old Friend_

_Lindsay Monroe's House, Bozeman, Montana_

She was all alone.

She had been alone for all of her life. Which life, she didn't know, it could have been Paige's or Lindsay's, but no matter whose life it was, she had always been alone. And all of the people who tried to comfort her, she would always end up pushing them away, just like she had done with Danny. But she didn't need anyone to face the pain she was going through; it would be too much for him to understand.

She lay there, on the kitchen floor thinking about what had happened the night before. Danny had heard her mumbling, no talking, about Adisa and herself being Paige. Ever since she had come back to Montana, had fought with Danny, she was reminded more and more of her past as Paige Hobson. Yet she still remembered being Lindsay Monroe, living in this very house when she used to live in Montana, before she had become a CSI in New York. She needed to find out the answer to her true identity soon; she didn't know how much longer she could wait.

She stared at the cell phone that was in her hands, ringing for the third time. She knew it was Danny, but she had told him she would be sleeping. After what happened last night, she had found it hard to sleep.

Right now, Calleigh, Danny, and Horatio were out at the grocery store, shopping for a supply of food. They had also gone out shopping to get other supplies than food; they needed enough supplies to make it through this long period of cold weather. She shivered, thinking of the cold weather that had already struck Montana.

Once again, her cell phone rang, for the fourth time. She used the sleeve of her sweatshirt to wipe away her tears and then answered the phone. "What?" she asked angrily.

"Um, Lindsay, you forgot to unlock the door," Danny's voice replied through the phone.

She stood up from the kitchen floor. "Oh…sorry, I'll go unlock it right now." She quickly ran to the front door and opened it, allowing Calleigh, Danny, and Horatio to walk pass her. Calleigh and Horatio walked into the kitchen, carrying their grocery bags while Danny stood by the front door, putting his grocery bag on the floor. He looked at her curiously, crossing his arms.

"Why didn't you answer your cell?" he asked. "You left us out there to freeze!"

"Again, I'm sorry," Lindsay said. "I was trying to sleep, you know."

"Maybe you should have gotten more sleep last night," said Danny. He picked up the grocery bags and carried them into the kitchen.

Lindsay watched him go. She knew he wanted to know more about Paige and Adisa, but at this moment, he couldn't know. He wasn't even supposed to know those names, so there was no way she would tell him who they were. She looked behind her to see the snow starting trail into the house. She closed the door and hurried to help the others put the groceries away.

Once they had brought all of the groceries and supplies in the house and put them away, Lindsay decided to make some more coffee. When she had gotten herself a cup of coffee and went to sit down at the kitchen table, Danny appeared behind her. "How much coffee have you had today?"

"Five, maybe six cups," replied Lindsay. "Why?"

"I can smell the coffee on you," said Danny. "And I thought you were sleeping?"

"What can I say? I'm a coffee addict. Every time I opened my eyes, I got a new cup of coffee."

"Well, if you drink too much coffee, you may stunt your growth."

Lindsay laughed. "Danny, I think I have stopped growing a long time ago. The last time I remembered growing was back in college. I've been five foot two ever since."

"Did you drink a lot of coffee then?" asked Danny.

"No," said Lindsay. "I'm just short. And you're just jealous because you're so tall."

"I'm not that tall," replied Danny with a shrug.

Calleigh suddenly appeared in the kitchen. "Lindsay, may I use your cell phone?"

"Sure," Lindsay said, throwing her cell phone to her.

She caught it without hesitation. "Nice catch," Danny complimented.

"Thank you," she replied. She then sat down at the table, next to Lindsay and Horatio. Danny decided to sit down as well.

"Who are you calling?" asked Danny.

"Gil Grissom from the Las Vegas Crime Lab," replied Calleigh. "I want to make sure that he's all right."

Lindsay reached over to get her laptop. "According to the Weather Channel they say that Las Vegas should be getting blizzards. The temperature's a low of ten degrees."

"Sounds exactly like the weather here," said Danny.

"Sounds exactly like the weather around the world," Horatio remarked.

"Well, I would get used to it," said Lindsay. "That's how the weather is going to be like for the next several weeks or for however long this lasts."

Calleigh signaled them to be quiet when she got an answer. "Grissom?" she asked into the phone. There were a few moments of silence as she waited for his response. Then she said, "Yes, this is Calleigh Duquesne from Miami PD. I'm currently in Montana, to answer your next question. But I was wondering how the weather was holding up in Vegas?"

Lindsay nodded to Calleigh to tell her to put the phone on speaker. Soon, they were listening to Grissom's weather report from Las Vegas.

_Las Vegas Crime Lab, Nevada_

Gil Grissom explained to Calleigh what the weather was like in Nevada. "Terrible," he said. "There has been nothing but snow. And the temperatures are cold enough to give you frost bite within seconds. We've been forced to stay inside the crime lab since the road crews aren't able to clear the roads. This is very untypical weather for Vegas, but I understand global cooling and global warming has to do with it."

"Yep," Calleigh's voice sounded on speaker. "It's pretty much the same in Montana."

"Montana, huh?" asked Catherine Willows as she entered Grissom's office. "Who are we talking to?"

"Calleigh Duquesne," replied Sara Sidle, who was standing right next to Grissom. "She's from Miami PD, remember?"

Catherine nodded.

Calleigh had heard their conversation. "Yes, Montana, that's were Horatio and our team are located. Is it just me, or did I hear two familiar voices?"

"Catherine here," she said as she sat down in one of the chairs across from Grissom's desk. "So you're in Montana? Is the weather as bad as it is here?"

"Yes," Calleigh answered. "Who else is in your office Grissom?"

"Do you remember CSI Sara Sidle?" asked Grissom.

"Vaguely," replied Calleigh.

"Well, she used to be a CSI," said Grissom in a low voice. He glanced at Sara, but she didn't seem to notice the sadness in his voice. "Despite the weather, she came down to visit, just to check in on me."

"Yeah," said Sara. "I guess I picked the perfect timing to come too, huh?" Both Grissom and Catherine laughed. "But, it would have been the same weather conditions if I stayed where I was. So at least I get to spend more time with Grissom."

"But anyway," Grissom said, "why did you go to Montana?"

"Lindsay Monroe called us to inform us on the weather," replied Calleigh. "She told us that Montana would be one of the safest places to go. But now, the state's experiencing the same freezing cold weather." She paused, and Grissom guessed she was talking to Lindsay Monroe. "Detective Monroe," he heard her voice say, "Would you like to explain to Grissom on what your theory about the weather is?"

"Actually, it's Special Agent Monroe now," sounded Lindsay's voice from the phone. "Yes, I'll explain what's going on with the weather."

Catherine, Grissom, and Sara listened as Lindsay explained of the storm that was devastating the world. She told of how it all started, by Hurricane Arthur that hit the east coast a year back, saying that that had been the beginning of the rising storm. She told them of the tornadoes that had hit Chicago and of the hurricanes that had hit the state of Florida. She explained how all of it had to do with global cooling and global warming, and how the world would slightly grow colder and colder each day, causing them to maybe go into the next Ice Age. When she was done, she heaved a big sigh. "Sounds pleasant, huh?"

"Wow," said Sara. "The next Ice Age, that'll be interesting."

"It would be if we weren't the ones experiencing it," said Grissom.

"You should prepare as much as you can," a new voice sounded from the phone. "Oh, to let you know, I'm Danny Messer. But prepare for the storm and gather supplies that will last for a long time."

"How long should this storm last?" Catherine asked.

"Unfortunately," said Lindsay, "we don't know. We'll just have to wait the storm through, since it's impossible to leave any of the states."

"Well, Danny," said Grissom. "You're right that we should prepare, but we can't leave the crime lab."

"Find useful supplies in the crime lab," said, yet another new voice.

"Horatio Caine," said Calleigh. "He works with Miami PD as well."

"Okay," said Grissom. "We'll start gathering supplies now. Thank you Calleigh, and to all of you in Montana."

"Well, you're very welcome," replied Calleigh. "And thank you again Catherine, for helping the Miami CSI with that case back in 2002. And if you see Warrick Brown, thank him too."

"I will," Catherine answered.

With that, Calleigh hung up, and Warrick suddenly appeared in the doorway. He too remembered the case from 2002, and asked, "Who's thanking me?"

"Calleigh Duquesne," said Catherine. "Remember we worked with her?"

He nodded, and Catherine walked with him out to the hallway. "We'll gather supplies!" she yelled back to Grissom.

Grissom nodded and turned to look at Sara. "Do you think we'll make it, through the next Ice Age?" she asked him.

"We did before," replied Grissom. "I'm sure we will again. Do you think we should help them?"

"Gathering the supplies?" asked Sara. "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea."

Grissom got up from his seat, and together, he and Sara hurried to join the others with the gathering of the supplies for the storm.

_Lindsay Monroe's House, Bozeman, Montana_

Lindsay gazed down at her phone that lay on the table. The call had ended a while ago, and now she was left alone in the kitchen. Danny probably had tried to get her attention, but she'd been too focused on something else: How long would the period of freezing cold weather last? She turned her gaze towards her laptop, and watched the radar on her computer screen.

Massive clouds, almost looking like a hurricane, completely covered the Northern Hemisphere. She sighed. The weather would be cold for a long time to go. The chances of the weather clearing up in a week or two were suddenly starting to slip away.

Noises came from the living room, obviously the conversation between Calleigh, Danny, and Horatio. They had to be watching her flat screen TV, fighting over who was going to win a tournament or something stupid like that. She didn't know how they could enjoy themselves when there was so much to worry about. Of course, she had many more issues to deal with in her life than just to make it through this storm. And with each moment that passed by, she realized that their chance of living seemed to be fading slowly away.

She heaved another sigh. "Three weeks," she mumbled to herself. "Please, let that be the longest the storm will last." She pushed the laptop aside and stared out the window, seeing the snow fall lightly on to the ground. She hoped everything would be all right and that no one would get hurt, or worse, die in this storm.

_Chapter 29- A week has gone by with this terrible, freezing weather. How is House coping without knowing if Cuddy's okay? Next chapter is about House, and it's a pretty short chapter._

_A/N: Chapter 29 should be up either tomorrow or Thursday. Sorry for those who don't like GSR. And sorry to those who really like CSI, because I really didn't include too many chapters about CSI. Also, I saw Last Resort today for House. It was awesome! And I swear that guy was going to kill Thirteen. I'm glad he didn't. And, another random piece of information, but Thirteen did reveal her name in last week's episode when she went to the patient's home, if you didn't know! Happy early Thanksgiving! _


	29. Unable To Help Her

_Thanks to Bulletgirl1723, lily moonlight, and Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter!_

_Chapter Twenty Nine: Unable To Help Her_

_A Week Passes by..._

_St. Peter's Hospital, Helena, Montana_

_Dr. Gregory House's Office_

Data appeared upon the screen, showing House and Dr. Brennan a world view of how the weather was claiming the Northern Hemisphere. The weather hadn't cleared up; snows had turned to ice, temperatures were well past their freezing points, making it impossible to send any help to any of the cities and countries around the world. And it was still getting worse, and his worries for Cuddy grew more as the day proceeded on. He had wanted to send help to Chicago to rescue her right away, but he didn't have the power to, and if they had rescued her, they would have had to rescue everyone from Chicago. He turned to look at Brennan. "We should have evacuated immediately."

Brennan nodded. "I'm sorry about Lisa, she must mean a lot to you."

"She does," replied House. "I love her."

He glanced out the window, seeing that the snows were now claiming the state of Montana too. He shivered from thinking of the cold temperatures. "We have to stop this," he announced, "before the storm claims Montana too. We'll lose all of the data we have, and we won't be able to track the storm anymore once it hits, since we'll lose the power."

Brennan nodded. "But House, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do to save Lisa, even though I know you would do anything to save her. And the weather, we can't change how it's going to affect us."

"Break the rules," said House. "There just aren't any rules to break here."

"So," said Brennan, turning to look at the computer screen, "we wait?"

House sighed. "We wait." He looked at the data on the screen, wishing that the results showed that the freezing weather would stop. But he would have to wait out the storm, just like everyone else, since there was nothing he could do to stop the weather.

_Chapter 30- How is everyone dealing with the storm in Chicago? They're still waiting for help to arrive. Wilson and Kutner also finally figure out where the rest of their team is sheltering in the library…_

_A/N: Very short chapter, I know. But please review! I promise the next chapter will be much longer. It should be up either tomorrow or Saturday. After Thanksgiving shopping day is tomorrow, so I may not post tomorrow. But I'll post if I have time too! Also, I may be posting a Thirteen/Kutner (House MD) story soon, so if you want to, you can read it if you're a fan of the pairing._

_Happy Thanksgiving!_


	30. Believing

_Thanks to lily moonlight, Aly, and Bulletgirl1723 for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last, very short, chapter! :)_

_Chapter Thirty: Believing_

_Chicago Public Library, Illinois_

Stella sat near the window, humming a song quietly. She didn't know what song it was; she just remembered the way it sounded. Mac, who was sitting next to her, was looking at her, with one eyebrow raised. She turned to look at his questioning stare. "What song are you humming?" he asked.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I remember how the song goes, but not the lyrics or the name of the song."

They had been at the library for a week now, waiting for the storm to be over. Help hadn't come, even though Scotty had said it would, which had made Flack even more upset than he had already been. They had been eating very little food that week and had very little to drink, which made Stella wonder how they had gotten through the week at all. But she had convinced herself that if she had to stay there for a long time, she would be fine, as long as Mac was by her side. She turned to look at Flack, who was pacing back and forth by the door.

"We're never going to get out of here," he was mumbling. "I should have never trusted for help to come."

Scotty tried his luck at reassuring him. "Help will come; you just have to be patient."

"Patient?" questioned Flack, turning around to face him. "I've been patient for the last week and nothing happened besides the storm getting worse! You said help would come in four days, but no one came. They've forgotten about us. No one is going to help us."

"Lindsay will," Stella said, interrupting the conversation between the two.

"Yeah, sure she will," said Flack sarcastically. "It's a no wonder why were not getting help. She shouldn't have sent us here."

"This is not Lindsay's fault!" Stella yelled, defending Lindsay even though she wasn't there. "Do you think we're the only ones on the earth suffering from this? This is actually being caused by global cooling and global warming and Lindsay has done nothing but help us prepare for the storm. But no one trusted her. If we'd listened to her, we wouldn't even be here. Besides, she didn't tell us to come to the library; we just followed a bunch of worried people here."

"And Montana is a better place to be?" questioned Flack.

"It might have been," Scotty answered angrily.

Before Stella could shout out anything else, Mac took her hand and nodded to the door. She glanced at the door and realized that someone was knocking on its wooden surface. Someone was there to save them. Flack had been wrong. She rushed to the door and immediately opened it. Cameron appeared at her side and waved to the newcomers. "Wilson," she said. "Did you just get here?"

"No," replied Wilson. "But I just figured out you guys were sheltering in here."

Cameron turned her gaze on Kutner and Taub. "You seriously didn't know we were here?"

Kutner nodded.

"I guess Wilson was too dumb to not know that," said Taub. "I knew you guys were here."

"What?" Wilson questioned. "You knew and you didn't tell me?"

Taub shrugged. "Next time you should listen to me then." He walked pass Cameron and Stella, leaving them alone with Kutner and Wilson.

"I'm assuming they're not help?" Stella asked Cameron.

"No," replied Cameron. "They're just more doctors that I work with."

Wilson was still mumbling to himself. "He didn't tell me…" He shook his head and then walked away from the three. Kutner looked up at Cameron.

"Go on," she said, signaling him over to the other group of doctors. When he was gone, she turned to Stella. "Sorry, if you were expecting help."

"It's okay," said Stella. "It's nothing you have to apologize for."

Cameron nodded. "I noticed your argument with…Flack, that's his name right?"

Stella nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry he's giving you such a hard time. But that was just Kutner, Taub, and Wilson who came, and I don't think they'll be much of help at all."

Stella thought she saw Kutner look back at Cameron, like he was about to protest that he wouldn't be much help. But he didn't say anything and only turned back to talk with the other doctors. "It's nothing," she said. "Flack, he's just in a bad mood right now."

"A lot of us are," Cameron replied. "It has been a long time, having to stay in this library."

"We're going to make it," Stella reassured her. "I know it."

"And I believe it," Cameron agreed, turning to walk back over to Wilson and the others. "And believing is what is going to help us get through this storm."

"That's what has got us this far," Stella said.

Cameron nodded her agreement and then walked over to the others. But she stayed there, right by the door, believing that help would come. If she believed that help would come, they would appear at the door in few minutes. But she was wrong.

_Hope you guys liked it!_

_A/N: The next chapter will check in on Lindsay and the others in Montana. It should be up either tomorrow or Sunday!_


	31. Hope

_Thanks to lily moonlight and Bulletgirl1723 for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Thirty One: Hope_

_Lindsay Monroe's House, Bozeman, Montana_

Fear gripped at her, not only for the storm that was devastating the world right now, but the chance of them being able to make it through the storm, being able to stay alive. A week had passed by, and they had struggled to make it through the week. It was impossible to cook food, something she hadn't even thought about, and now they had to eat canned foods, foods that came in packages, and anything else edible they could find. They had, however, gotten enough water and soda to drink though, which was more important than food. As long as they ate something and had enough to drink, they would be fine. But it was hard to be satisfied when hunger still gripped at her stomach.

She sighed as she paced back and forth in the living room. She looked outside the window, seeing nothing but snow cover the landscape to the horizon. She wanted to see Montana again, the place where she had grown up, or at least the place said to be her home. Paige Hobson had grown up in New York City and Lindsay Monroe had grown up in Bozeman, Montana. Surely that would mean those names where actually names of two different people? She couldn't have grown up in two places at one time, could she?

She ignored the questions that filled her mind. She didn't want to think of Paige Hobson or her double identity. She had to focus on making it alive through the storm.

Danny was standing by the window, watching her pace across the room. "You okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"Yeah," she replied. "This just helps me think."

Danny nodded and turned to glance out the window. How could he be so calm? She wondered. This storm could kill them and yet he acted like nothing was going on, that their life wasn't in danger. "How?" she asked. "How can you stay so together, not think about dying and the whole world falling apart?"

Danny turned his gaze back to her, his face showing his worry. Maybe he was scared too, but he just didn't want to admit it. "We can't do anything," he replied simply. "I guess I'm just waiting for a miracle, something that will make this storm go away. I guess that's what keeps me together."

"Hope," a new voice said. She turned around to see Calleigh. "I can't let myself think about not making it through, it's too much of a frightening thought. I focus on the positive that the storm will clear up by tomorrow."

"If only that was true," she mumbled to herself.

"We will make it Lindsay," Horatio reassured her. "We made it this far; we can make it a little longer."

Lindsay looked at him. "The question is how much is a little longer?" She didn't wait for him to answer because she didn't want to know. The storm would either clear up tomorrow or it would last a few more days, weeks, maybe even months. She'd rather not know the answer, because if the storm was over, she would go back to worrying about her case. But if she knew the storm would last longer, then she would be afraid of dying and cry until she did. She didn't like the truth; it always scared her.

She stopped halfway and immediately collapsed to the floor, crying. Danny rushed to her side, struggling to get her to sit up right. She didn't want to though, she just wanted to lie on the floor and cry herself to sleep, away from the real world. "Lindsay, what's the matter?"

"I can't do this," she sobbed. "It's too much, I can't take it anymore."

Danny cradled her in a hug. "I know this is hard, it's hard for all of us. We are going to make it, trust me. You'll see the sun shining down on Montana early one morning, as beautiful as it was before this storm hit."

"But when Danny?" she asked, for once glad for his company.

"I don't know Montana," he said. "I don't know." Lindsay silently cried into his shoulder, not caring if everyone was staring at her. It wasn't just the storm she couldn't take; it was her secret she had been hiding for such a long time.

She was miserable. Crying was the only thing in life that she could ever do right. Crying was her solution for everything, the solution she hated the most. She needed answers, but she wasn't getting them. But answers were truth, and the truth scared her.

_A/N: In the next chapter, we'll see how House and Dr. Brennan are doing. It should be up either tomorrow or Friday. And on a random note, who saw House last night? I thought it was a pretty good episode...anyway, I would say CSI: NY is on tonight, but it's not on this Wednesday! :( Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter!_


	32. I Know

_Thanks to Aly and lily moonlight for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Thirty Two: I Know_

"Lisa," he mumbled. He had just dreamt of her, her beautiful eyes gazing at him and her expression showing her happiness. She had had a case folder in her hands and was about to assign him to a new case with some patient that had a disease that he would later figure out. And she had talked, not signed, to him that he had a new case. He still remembered her voice, even though he hadn't heard it for a year now.

In his dream, she hadn't been deaf. In real life, she was. And now he could almost understand how she felt. He knew how bad she wanted to hear again; he could tell by the way she wrote about it in her emails. He wanted her to hear again; he wanted her to have the best she could get. But would he ever see her again? Would that ever be able to happen, if they couldn't make it through this storm first?

He turned around in his chair, seeing that Brennan was hard at work, looking through a stack of paper. "Does that have anything to do with this storm?" he demanded.

Brennan looked at him, aware that he was awake now. "No," he admitted. "But it's for work. Don't you have a patient waiting for you anyway?"

"Jennifer will handle that. Right now," he said, getting up from his chair and limping over to Brennan's desk, "we have to figure out how we're going to stop this storm." He pushed the stack of papers down to the floor.

"House!" exclaimed Brennan.

"Oops," House said. "I swear it was an accident."

Brennan looked at him in disbelief, but then finally said, "Okay, I'll take a look at how this storm is affecting the country."

House waited as the data loaded up on to the screen. When he saw the results, he again thought of Cuddy. Most of the northern states were covered by massive clouds, showing storm activity. Brennan found out most of the temperatures of the northern states and they were all at freezing levels. The thing he feared was happening right now.

"Well," said Brennan, "that's what you call one freezing winter."

"We're going into the next Ice Age," said House. "That's what's happening, isn't it?"

Brennan slowly nodded.

House mumbled Lisa's name under his breath and then limped over to the door. Brennan, who was now picking up his papers that House had knocked on to the floor, said to him, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do about saving Lisa."

House banged his fists on the door. "I know!" he yelled. When Brennan didn't respond, he turned around to look at him, his voice quieting. "I know there's nothing we can do about saving her. I want to help her, but I know I can't. But what you can do is pick up the rest of those papers and track this storm. I'll go check on my patient, and then come back here when you have a new report."

He was about to leave, but then Brennan spoke up again. "Coffee," he said.

House gave him a questioning stare.

"You'll be back here in a few minutes," Brennan explained. "The least you could do is to get me a coffee."

"Fine," House agreed. "But if you don't like it, you can get another coffee yourself." He left the room, letting the door slam behind him.

_Chapter 33- Danny, Lindsay, Calleigh, and Horatio think that there is yet more to come and the worse of the storm hasn't clear up yet. But they could possibly be wrong, and the storm may just be coming to an end… (The next chapter will be up either tomorrow or Friday.)_


	33. The Beginning Of The End

_Thanks to Bulletgirl1723, Aly, and lily moonlight for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Thirty Three: The Beginning Of The End_

_Lindsay Monroe's House, Bozeman, Montana_

The four of them sat there, on the kitchen floor. Two weeks had passed by since the last time they had talked to the CSI investigators in Las Vegas and a week had passed by since she had fallen on the floor, crying anyway the pain. Now that the storm had hit them hard, there was absolutely no power and thankfully, there was a fireplace in the house. But as they sat there on the cold kitchen floor, eating a bowl of chips in complete silence, they all began to wonder if the storm would ever begin to disperse.

Danny Messer sat next to Lindsay, resting his head against a couch that was nearby. He didn't think of the storm, only gazed at Lindsay, taking in her beauty. She may have not been able to have access to a nice warm shower for days, but no matter what, she would always be beautiful to him. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, but he knew she would tell him to forget the idea, saying that something in her life would make it too hard for them to be together. He thought of Adisa and Paige, and wondered if that was part of the reason why she wouldn't love him.

Calleigh Duquesne opened her eyes, leaving the sunny skies and beaches to be only a dream of memory. She missed Florida and the nice, warm temperatures that claimed the state of Florida. Now, she knew she would never see the state again, not if the weather ever cleared up. And more than anything did she miss working as a CSI, with Horatio and the team by her side.

Horatio Caine tried to think of nothing. He stared at the ground, twirling the sunglasses he knew he would never wear again in his hands. He shivered, knowing that too the weather would never be as warm as it had been back in Florida, or as it once had been. But for now, he would not let that thought bother him, for he wanted to think of nothing.

Lindsay Monroe, or secretly also Paige Hobson, was taking the last bite of her potato chip, wishing for better food. They could have had a great meal, they had enough food, but with the power off, there would be no way of cooking anything. For the last two weeks, they had been eating canned foods and junk food. She decided to take a drink of water, to get the salty taste out of her mouth. As she finished the bottle of water, she looked around. "No coffee," she announced, more of a joke to Danny than the others.

"Good," said Danny. He examined her face for a moment. "I think you may have gained an inch."

Lindsay lightly slapped Danny on the shoulder. "Danny!"

"What, I thought that would be a good thing to know," said Danny.

Lindsay laughed, but soon she quieted again, as she got a warning glance from the others. No one shared humor anymore and she had shared the same attitude for too long. She smiled, and then laughed again. "You know, it's kind of weird just sitting on the cold floor, when we could be by the warm fireplace. I feel as if we're at a slumber party."

Calleigh laughed at that. "You know, it kind of does seem like we're at a slumber party. Truth or Dare, anyone?"

"Truth or Dare?" questioned Danny. "Um, that's for teenage girls who talk about their favorite crushes."

"So you don't want to admit your favorite crush?" retorted Lindsay.

Danny slightly blushed. "Well, it's already obvious who it is…" He paused, to look away from her. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "To bad she doesn't love me back…"

Again, the room fell silent, like nothing had been said. Calleigh began to laugh, and then said, "You know, we've been trapped in this house, for such a long time, and this weather, it just doesn't seem to be clearing. But, I'll admit something; doesn't everyone spill their secrets in the time of desperation?" She looked down at the ground and then back up again. "I love him," she said plainly. "Eric Delko, I love him."

Horatio turned to look at her and then slowly nodded his head. "That's good news to hear, Duquesne. He loves you back, I'm sure of it."

"I just wish he was here," whispered Calleigh. "You think he's okay, Horatio?"

"Yes," he replied. "We're all going to be okay."

Danny turned to look at Lindsay again. "Secrets, huh?" He seemed to be trying to make her confess who Adisa and Paige were. But thankfully, he said something else. "Well, the only reason why I don't like horses is because…when I was five years old, my brother and I tried riding horses. Yeah, my horse didn't like anyone, and while I was riding the horse, he lost control and I ended up falling off the saddle…"

"Were you okay?" asked Lindsay with concern.

"Yeah, I just experienced minor injuries," replied Danny.

"Well, I wasn't going to make you ride a horse," said Lindsay. "I understand why you are afraid of horses. It's nothing to be ashamed about. But not all horses are like that, you know."

Danny nodded, but didn't look up to meet her gaze. He was obviously embarrassed at what he had just confessed, more than Calleigh had been when she said she loved another CSI. Now, it was Horatio's turn to talk. "This isn't much of a secret," he said. "But I'm going to miss working in Miami, the beautiful sunsets, the warm temperatures…and working with all of the CSI investigators. It seems like only yesterday when we were evacuating to Montana."

"Yeah," Calleigh whispered.

"It only seems like yesterday when we were in New York, preparing for the upcoming hurricane," said Lindsay. She put her hand on Danny's chin and raised his head so she could see his face. "Danny, I've been lying to you for all of this time."

Danny removed her hand from his chin. He then took her hand in his. "What have you been lying about?"

Her eyes started to water, and she could feel tears soon running down her face. "I do love you Danny," she sobbed. "I've been the jerk, not accepting the fact that I love you."

He pushed the hair out of her face. "Shh, don't cry. It's okay that you love me, I'm glad to hear that you do because Lindsay, I love you too." He took her in his arms and she silently cried into his shoulder. Calleigh and Horatio looked at each other, smiling, glad to hear news that brought joy, not pain. Then, almost suddenly, Lindsay's laptop began to beep. She had turned it on earlier that day, after not using it for two weeks, hoping that there may be some new news about the weather. They all turned to look at it.

"What…?" Lindsay got up from the kitchen floor and looked at the screen. She almost fell over when she saw the screen. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Guys, come over here and check this out!"

Calleigh, Danny, and Horatio crowded around the laptop. She pointed to the screen. "See that?" she asked.

"Yes," Danny replied, yet he knew she didn't mean for anyone to answer.

"Is it really true?" asked Horatio.

Lindsay nodded. "The storm…" She gazed at the laptop. The massive clouds that had engulfed the Northern Hemisphere were now dissipating, and for the first time in the two weeks she had been in Montana, she felt hope. "…it's clearing up. It's true. The storm's finally over."

A relieved sigh came from all of them, and immediately, Lindsay made a break for the door. She heard Danny call her name, but she ignored him, and ran outside. She stared at the sight in front of her, a beautiful sight she hadn't seen for a long time.

Snows covered the landscape, stretching far into the horizon. There was a slight breeze, blowing through the now visible trees. But the most beautiful thing that surrounded her was the sight of the sun, shining brightly down from the heavens. The storm was truly indeed over. It was settled. Everything was going to be all right.

"It's just as beautiful as the sunsets in Florida," Horatio's voice sounded behind her.

Lindsay smiled. As Danny walked over to her, she hugged him. "Montana," he whispered into her ear. "I finally get to see Montana, just the way it was before the snows."

She turned back to gaze at the sky. "Does anyone know what time it is?" she asked.

"Judging by the fact that the sun is beginning to set, it's probably almost five, five thirty," replied Calleigh.

"I've lost so much track of time," said Lindsay. "It is November, isn't it?"

"Yeah," replied Danny. "Unfortunately, we'll still be seeing snow for a while. But, at least not as bad as this storm."

Lindsay nodded. "Montana's beautiful with snow. Of course, that's when there are only a few inches of it on the ground." She paused and then laughed. "And you know what other good news there is?"

"What?" Danny asked curiously.

"No more eating junk food or gross canned food!" exclaimed Lindsay. "Danny, you wanted steaks; now we can have them."

Danny smiled, glad to hear the good news.

Lindsay turned to look at Horatio, who was gazing off into the horizon. He held his sunglasses in his hand, and when he turned to look away from the sky, he put them on. His gentle voice sounded as he spoke again. "The sun is beautiful, and the temperature is slightly warming up, but if we stay outside too long, we could still get frost bite."

The others nodded and hurried to follow Horatio inside. As they settled in the living room, warming up from the fire in the fireplace, Lindsay's gaze rested upon Horatio. He still wore his sunglasses, even though they were in the darkness of her home. It made her want to laugh, seeing him wear sunglasses inside, but she knew why he had done that. His sunglasses were his prized possession, and with them on, he felt like he was closer to returning back home to Miami.

_Chapter 34- The news of the storm clearing up has made it to Montana, now it is time for the others sheltering in Chicago to know. And Stella may find out more about Lindsay's secret... A little mention of CSI will be in this chapter too, but it won't be very long._

_A/N: I apologize that it took so long to get this chapter up! It's been pretty busy here, with school and now Christmas being here in three days. Hope you're having a great holiday! _


	34. A Happy Ending

_Thanks to Aly and Bulletgirl1723 for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Thirty Four: A Happy Ending _

_Chicago Public Library, Illinois_

Vivian stared at the checkerboard in front of her. She had been playing chess with Martin for what seemed like ages now, and he was still deciding on where he should move his chess piece. She took her gaze off of the checkerboard and looked at Martin. "It's your turn," she announced.

"I know," Martin replied. "I'm still thinking."

"Well, hurry up," said Vivian. "You take too long to think."

Martin shot her an annoyed glance, but finally moved his chess piece. "There, you happy now?"

"Yes," said Vivian, "because now, I've won the game." She moved her chess piece on the checkerboard to show him her win. He looked at her in dismay, and then quickly shook his head. He got up from his chair and moved over to where Jack, Elena, and Samantha were. Vivian glanced at Danny, who had been observing the recent game. "Do you want to face me?"

Danny looked around, in hopes of another person to take his position, and then shrugged. "Ah, what the heck, why not?" he asked. He sat down where Martin had just been sitting and then they began the game.

A little farther away from them was Thirteen, still resting on the couch. Hawkes was near her, sitting on the floor and resting his head against the couch. She looked down at him. "You know, you didn't have to stay here. I'm fine by myself."

"I know," replied Hawkes. "I can do my part though."

"But you're the scientist," said Thirteen. "You should be over with your team, talking to them, not to me."

"I was once part of a surgical staff," said Hawkes. "And I used to work in the morgue, performing autopsies. So I do know enough in the medical field to be a doctor."

"Well, I thank you Dr. Hawkes, for taking care of me," said Thirteen.

"You're welcome," said Hawkes. "But Dr. Chase did help you too."

"I'll thank him later," replied Thirteen. "He, anyway, didn't seem to care. He loves Cameron too much to care for anyone else. And Cameron is too busy interpreting things to Cuddy to even think twice about me. We never really got along anyway. And Kutner, Taub, and Foreman could care less either." She hadn't mentioned Wilson, but she barely ever talked to him, so she didn't think he cared either.

"They care," Hawkes reassured her. "They may not seem like they care, but they do."

"Maybe," said Thirteen.

"So your name is "Thirteen"?" asked Hawkes.

"Not exactly," replied Thirteen. "It's just a nickname."

"So what's your real name?"

Thirteen smiled. "What's yours?"

"Sheldon Hawkes," he replied. "But I'm guessing you won't tell me yours."

Thirteen nodded. "You've got me all figured out."

In mention of their names, the six doctors stood by the window, conversing amongst themselves. Cuddy was farther away from the group, sitting on the ledge of a window and gazing out of it. Nothing but snow lay outside, and it almost covered the entire window. Clouds blocked the stunning blue sky, but she thought she could see sunlight start to shine through. The sight reminded her of House, and she longed to know where he had been throughout the time of the storm, what he had been doing to benefit the both of them.

She took her gaze away from the window and watched the others around her. No matter how hard she strained to hear them, she would never hear a sound. She could see them talk, but no voices came out of their mouth as they spoke. As the days had passed by, she had wondered what it was like to hear, the sound of the rushing flood waters that had claimed Chicago, the noise of the wind blowing against the windows, the sound of the fire crackling through the night, the worried voices of her friends. She hadn't cared for the storm that devastated all of them; she just wondered what it was like to hear. But she had come to the thought that she would never hear again or even come close to making it another week through the storm.

She looked towards the group of doctors. She jumped down from the ledge and walked over to join them. Cameron greeted her with a friendly smile; the others didn't seem to notice her appearance. But soon Foreman and Wilson nodded to her, while Kutner and Taub waved. Chase didn't try to make any impression, but she knew he wasn't glad that she was there. She just ignored him; she didn't care what he thought. She turned to Cameron and signed inquiringly, "Where do you think House is?"

Cameron translated for the group, yet she wasn't really interested in the rest of the team's answer. _"Where do you think House is?"_

Wilson shrugged. _"He could be anywhere."_

Kutner nodded.

"Where do you think he is?" Cameron signed back.

Cuddy shrugged. "Every time I would ask, he would tell me he was benefiting the both of us."

"Benefit?" she signed and asked at the same time.

"_House is benefiting something?"_ questioned Foreman. _"That's got to be a first."_

"_He could be benefiting himself,"_ said Taub. _"I don't see him helping anyone."_

"_House helps a lot of people,"_ said Cameron. _"Just think of all the patients' lives he has_ _saved."_

"_He does that because it's his job,"_ said Chase. _"If we had more dead patients do you really think Cuddy would let him work at the hospital?"_

"_House doesn't even work at the same hospital as us anymore,"_ Wilson pointed out.

"_I was saying when he worked in New Jersey,"_ replied Chase.

She couldn't stand to listen, more like lip read, their conversation. House did help his patients, he did help people. He had helped her, and the rest of the team hadn't even taken a chance to notice it. "Hello?" Cuddy signed. "He loves me. And I love him. He's helping me."

Again, Cameron translated. _"You don't understand. House loves Cuddy and she loves him. Wherever House is, he's benefiting both himself and Cuddy."_

"_He's still benefiting himself,"_ said Foreman.

Cuddy shrugged; tired of even trying to show the others that House was a caring person. He just didn't like to admit it, only showed it in his job. But it had been so long since she had seen him; he could have changed; no, he had changed. He wasn't miserable anymore, and he didn't seem to have a bad attitude towards others, at least, that was how she saw him. She pretended to pay attention to the other doctors' conversation. _Just wait, _she thought. _House will come and save us all._

Stella shivered as she stood by the fire. She had Mac's coat around her, and for some reason she couldn't stop trembling. She looked around, wondering how the others could have survived the freezing weather. She had been standing by the fireplace for an hour now, and she was still cold. But she knew the fire wasn't enough to keep her warm. She wrapped Mac's coat around her even tighter.

Mac walked up to her, seeing her shiver from the cold. "Are you sure you're feeling all right, Stel?"

"Yes," she replied. "I'm just cold, that's all. But, you know, everyone except me seems to be dealing with this cold weather fine."

"It is chilly in here," said Mac, "even with the fire burning in the fireplace. If you look around, you can see that you're not the only one who's cold."

As Stella looked around, she could tell that the others in the room were slightly trembling from the cold. She wondered how much longer they would have to deal with the storm, having no electricity, and having no decent food to eat. As she considered the thought, Detectives Lilly Rush and Scotty Valens hurried over to join them.

"Is there something important you have to tell us?" asked Mac, also noticing their rushed arrival.

"No," Scotty answered. "We were just getting tired of sitting around reading books, watching the fire in the fireplace, stuff like that."

"Haven't we all gotten tired of that?" Stella said in agreement.

Lilly laughed, and Scotty nodded. As Stella saw how the two of them got along so well, she was reminded of her and Mac. It had taken a long time for them to get together and then get married, but they had always had a connection. She could tell that Lilly and Scotty were the same way. "So," she began. "You two are dating now since the last time I spoke to you?"

Scotty smiled uncomfortable, and Lilly slightly blushed. "Yes," she said. "Scotty and I are dating."

"Let me guess," said Scotty. "You two are still dating as well."

Mac and Stella looked at each other and laughed. "We're actually married," said Stella.

"Oh," Scotty said. "I was close enough…"

"Who's dating who?" a voice asked.

Stella turned to see both Jack and Samantha walking over to him. "Lilly and Scotty are dating," she explained.

"Hey, didn't we already tell you that?" Scotty questioned.

"Yeah," said Samantha. "I just thought I'd eavesdrop."

Scotty shook his head.

Stella noticed that Samantha was also shivering. "You're cold too?"

Samantha nodded. "We all are."

Suddenly, the opening of the door sounded in the room. They turned to look who appeared from it, seeing that it was Flack. Stella shook her head. "He's probably here to bring more bad news," she whispered to Mac. She walked past him, heading over to the door. "Being the barer of bad news again?"

"No," said Flack. "Now, I've brought good news."

Stella stared at him in surprise. "Well, what's the news?"

Flack nodded towards the door. "Go outside and take a look for yourself. I'll get the others."

Stella did as he said, and she walked through the hallway that had led to the room where they had sheltered. As she walked away from the room, the temperature seemed to warm up a little, which didn't make sense, but she was glad for the warmth. She came to the lobby of the library, where many of the sheltering people were still at and soon stood by the door she had been by when she was waiting for Mac to return from getting supplies, only weeks ago. She was suddenly reminded of Lindsay, since she had talked to her on the phone that same day, and wondered how she was doing in Montana. She put her hand on the door handle, not looking through the glass window, and opened the door. She was expecting to see nothing but snow stretched out across the city for miles and miles, but instead she saw the city in clear view.

There was still a lot of snow on the ground, but she could see the stairs leading to the sidewalk below her. Buildings that had been frozen by ice or completely covered with snow were now visible and sparkling in the sunlight. And as she looked to the sky above her, she could see numerous helicopters flying around, about to make their landing on the snowy ground. There were also many other people gathering outside, from other buildings in Chicago. They had been saved. They had made it through the storm.

She shivered, though the wind barely made her cold. She was overjoyed to see her beloved home again and wondered if the floods that had claimed New York would too disappear, and they would be able to return to their first home.

She heard the door behind her open, to reveal more people. When she saw Mac, she ran over to him and hugged him. "We're saved!" she exclaimed, with tears falling down her face. "We made it!" She saw of glimpse of Mac's face and he too, was crying. But their tears weren't of sadness, but of joy.

The CSI team, consisting of Flack, Hawkes, Mac, and Stella, gathered around to watch the landing helicopters. The FBI agents--Danny, Elena, Martin, Jack, and Samantha--joined the CSI investigators. The doctors were the last out of the building--Cameron, Chase, Cuddy, Foreman, Kutner, Taub, and Wilson. They all stood there, watching the sight of the helicopters, all relieved to know that they had made it through the storm that had devastated them for such a long time. As more people came out of the building to admire the sight, the teams began to separate to talk in little groups. Stella wandered off from the investigators and found Dr. Lisa Cuddy sitting quietly alone on the stairs of the public library. She sat down next to her.

"You know about her," said Stella, "about Paige Hobson."

The doctor looked at her inquiringly. She nodded to her.

"You know that she's also Lindsay Monroe, right?"

Again, the doctor nodded. Stella was surprised at how much of her speech she understood without being able to hear. She asked, "Who is she really?"

Cuddy shrugged.

"Can you maybe somehow tell me about her story?"

This time Cuddy took out her cell phone and turned it on. She handed the phone to Stella once she was finished with a message.

_It'll be 2 hard 2 tell u. I'm deaf and u don't know sign._

Stella quickly answered back and then handed the phone back to Cuddy.

_U can tell me her true identity._

_U don't understand. I don't know her true identity. She's Lindsay Monroe/Paige Hobson. If u want 2 know more, u should ask those FBI agents, or Samantha Spade at least._

Stella nodded. She had already known of the FBI agent Samantha Spade, but after all the previous arguments they had had back in the airport a year ago, she didn't think she would tell her anything about Lindsay's double identity. But she still had one question.

_Lindsay does have 2 identities?_

When Cuddy saw the message, she nodded. She took the phone from Stella and typed a new message.

_She told me in the airport, about a year ago, during the evacuation of New Jersey. U were there that day at the airport 2, to evacuate from New York._

Stella nodded. She again took the phone and asked:

_How do u sign "Thank you?"_

Cuddy smiled. She quickly signed, "Thank you," and then repeated herself again so Stella could see how she was signing. Stella laughed at herself, seeing that it was one of the simplest things to sign. "Thank you," she said and signed at the same time. "Dr. Lisa Cuddy."

"You're welcome," signed Cuddy.

Stella nodded. When she turned to look at the city, she saw Cameron walking towards them. She began to sign to Cuddy, but also talked so that Stella could understand what she was saying. "Hey you two, have you thought about getting on to one of the helicopters? Or would you like to stay here and freeze from the cold?"

Cuddy and Stella looked at each other, with smiles on their faces. "We're just going to sit out here in the cold," Cuddy signed. Stella hadn't known what she had just signed, but it must have been a joke, because Cameron laughed. She shrugged and followed them towards one of the helicopters to board it. She sat down next to Mac and looked around.

Cameron and Cuddy had accompanied her on to the helicopter, along with Lilly and Scotty. As the helicopter took flight, she wondered if she would see the city again without snow. Then again, it was November, so there would still be plenty of snow to come. But that snow wouldn't be as bad as it had been during the storm. It would be a peaceful winter, the best winter the world had ever seen.

_Las Vegas Crime Lab, Nevada_

"It's over!" exclaimed Sara, running over to hug Grissom. "The storm's over!"

Grissom looked at her in disbelief. "Really?"

Sara nodded. "Come on," she said, motioning towards the door. "If you want to see that the storm has cleared, you're going to want to take a look outside."

Grissom got up from his chair and followed Sara outside. The other CSI investigators were waiting for them by the door, and when Sara opened the door, he gasped. The snows that had claimed the Vegas strip were now almost gone, and he could see the roads, rescue crews, news reporters, and people gathering outside. The storm was over, and they had made it through worst of it.

Catherine turned to look at him. "Looks like we're back to solving cases again, huh?"

Grissom nodded, to astound to say anything. He remembered the phone call that had been from Calleigh, who had called to make sure that everything was all right. Lindsay Monroe had explained more of the weather, of how it had taken its toll. That had been two weeks ago.

"Anyone up to getting something to eat?" asked Greg Sanders.

"That would be a good idea," agreed Nick Stokes.

Sara turned to Grissom, who was still shocked. "What do you think, Grissom?"

"Yeah," said Grissom. "We should get something to eat."

Grissom took Sara's hand, and together, the CSI investigators walked away from the crime lab, into the streets of Las Vegas. The storm had done its damage, and now they could live their lives again.

_A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It was a happy chapter, perfect for Christmas! The next chapter will be about House. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a very happy holidays! :D_


	35. Meeting In Montana

_Thanks to Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! And just to let you guys know, there is about six or seven chapters left until the end. But there is still one part left of this story until it's finished!_

_Chapter Thirty Five: Meeting In Montana_

_St. Peter's Hospital, Helena, Montana_

House put down the magazine he was reading and turned to look at the computer. A new update had come up, and the world map showed up on the screen. The massive clouds that had covered the entire Northern Hemisphere were now starting to disperse and from recent weather reports, the snows had been clearing up. He looked over at Brennan's desk and threw the magazine over to him to wake him up.

Brennan awoke immediately, looking at the magazine and then at House. "What?"

"What do you think?" retorted House. "Look at the screen!"

Brennan looked at the screen; his eyes opened wide in surprise. "The storm," he whispered. "It's clearing up." He turned to look at House. "It's over. The storm has ended."

"Lisa," House whispered, and then he got up from his chair, hurrying out of the office. He soon met up with Jennifer. She looked up at him, with a smile on her face. "What?" House asked.

"Got good news from Dr. Brennan?" she asked.

"Yes," replied House. "The storm that had claimed the entire Northern Hemisphere is now clearing up."

"That is good news to hear," agreed Jennifer. "We'll see a little warmer weather in Montana now."

House nodded. He began to walk past her, but she stopped him.

"I wasn't done yet," said Jennifer.

House turned to look at her.

"You say it's never lupus," Jennifer explained. "It was. And I see you had found another doctor to do the test for you."

House smiled. "And how long have you known me?" As he continued to walk, he said, "I guess you shouldn't trust my judgment though," said House. "Next time a patient exhibits signs of lupus, you should treat them for it right away."

"The patient didn't die, if that's what you were thinking," explained Jennifer. "She was admitted out of the hospital a long time ago. I just thought you might want to know that sometimes, it can be lupus."

"I still live by my motto," replied House. "And you know what another one of my mottos are?"

Jennifer shrugged.

"Everybody lies."

"I wasn't lying, if that's what you think," said Jennifer.

"I know you're not lying," replied House. "I just thought _you _wanted to know that sometimes, people do lie."

Jennifer shook her head. Then he was faced with a questioning stare from her as he turned to walk away again.

"Where are you going anyway?"

"To help someone," said House, "someone that has needed my help for a while now."

Jennifer was still confused, but went back to her work. When she left, House pulled out his cell phone and typed in a message to Cuddy saying, _where are you going? _Wherever she was going, he would go there too, and meet up with her at the airport.

_Chicago, Illinois_

Up in the sky they were hovering above the city of Chicago. Their helicopter was heading for Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where they had started running flights again, despite the snow. But most of the snow had been cleared off the runway, so the planes would be able to take off.

Cuddy gazed out the window, watching the snow melt off of buildings and seeing the city like it normally was again. She wondered where they would go, since they had evacuated so many times before, and thought it would be best if they just stayed in Chicago. But Cameron had insisted on going somewhere else; she had talked with the others on the helicopter and agreed on the one place they would be going: Montana.

She knew why they would go there; it had been the place Lindsay Monroe had gone weeks before, to evacuate from the storm. The storm had affected Montana the same way it had in Chicago, but they still had agreed on going there, just to see Lindsay. She didn't mind that; the last time she had seen Lindsay was a year ago at O'Hare when she had told her about her sister, Lianna Sardo, and when she learned something about Lindsay, that she had two different identities. She had also told Stella that and she knew that Samantha wouldn't be too happy about that, but something told her that Stella had known about Lindsay's secret for a long time, and it was time for her to find out the truth. There was also three other people that were with Lindsay in Montana: Danny Messer, Horatio Caine, and Calleigh Duquesne, who she hadn't met before.

Cameron tapped on her shoulder and signaled to her cell phone. She realized that someone had sent her a new text message. It was from House, saying, _where are you going?_

She looked up to Stella, who was sitting across from her. She showed her the message and Stella mouthed the words, "Montana, Billings Logan International Airport."

She quickly typed in her response, sent it, and closed the phone. She turned to gaze out the window again, glad to know House was coming back to see her again.

_St. Peter's Hospital, Helena, Montana_

_B__illings Logan International Airport, Montana._

She was going to Montana. He would immediately leave the hospital, go to Billings, and wait for her at the airport. And when she got off the plane, he would greet her, and he would see the beautiful smile of hers. She would want to know the answers of the questions she had been eager to know for so long, like where he had been and what he had been doing to benefit the both of them. He would sign to her—he had learned ASL himself too—telling her that he had been in Montana, still working as a doctor, but finding out the reason why the hurricane had hit the state of New Jersey a year ago, which in the end had been caused by both global warming and global cooling. And he would wrap her in his arms, glad to know that she had survived the storm.

He looked around at the hospital, the last time he would ever see the place where he had been for such a long time. It would be odd not seeing Brennan and Jennifer again, but he would be glad to see his old staff, Kutner, Taub, and Thirteen, the two lovers Cameron and Chase, his friend Wilson, and his love, Lisa Cuddy. And hopefully, in the future, he would see Princeton Plainsboro Hospital in New Jersey again.

_Chapter 36- Everyone meets up at the airport, including House, to go to one place--Bozeman, Montana, to meet up with Lindsay and the others._

_A/N: Sorry for the late update. The next chapter will be up on Monday! Hope you guys liked this chapter! _


	36. We're Going To Need More Than One Car

_Thanks to Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Thirty Six: We're Going To Need More Than One Car..._

_Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Illinois_

They all sat in the waiting room for their flight to Montana. Everyone that had been in the library was there now, the two detectives, all of the FBI agents, all of the CSI investigators, and all of the doctors. It was like it had been a year ago, when they were all evacuating from Hurricane Arthur that was going to hit the east coast. And they were all going to the same place in Montana, to Bozeman, where Calleigh, Danny, Horatio, and Lindsay would be waiting.

Lindsay had sent them a text message earlier, telling that she was in Bozeman. She had also told in the message that Danny would pick them up from the airport, but what she didn't realize was that it wasn't just the CSI investigators that were coming to Montana. Stella had laughed at that thought; she knew Lindsay would flip when she saw how many people were really coming to Montana. Danny wouldn't be able to take all of them in one car, so some of them would have to take a cab or rent a car of their own. There would also not be enough rooms for everyone at Lindsay's house, but not everyone was going to stay at her house. They would stay for dinner, to reunite with one another, but then go their separate directions.

Stella glanced at the sign that told the information about their flight, and figured out that the flight would leave in twenty minutes. She turned to look at Mac and said, "You know, it seems like yesterday that we were just evacuating New York to come here."

Mac nodded. "We were waiting with the FBI agents, Lindsay had gotten sick, you and Samantha had been arguing."

"Well, not all memories are good." She glanced at Samantha, remembering that they had argued only because she had wanted to know more about Paige Hobson. She had gotten along with her during the storm, but now she wondered if they would argue again because she would demand on who Lindsay really was. Lisa Cuddy had told her the truth, and the only way she would find out more about Lindsay's two identities would be by asking Samantha herself. She could always ask Jack Malone or even Mac, but right now, she decided it would be a good idea not to let Lindsay know she had found out about her secret. Mac's voice sounded beside her as he began to talk again.

"But just think. If we hadn't evacuated New York, would we have ever gotten married? If it hadn't been for your disappearance, would we have continued fighting, or would we have admitted our feelings for each other?" He gave her a moment to think and then started talking again. "If none of this had happened, Stel, we would have never fallen in love. We would have just been working together as CSI investigators, never admitting that we truly loved each other."

"Yeah," agreed Stella. "Some memories are bad, but they are always followed by good ones. Life is a rollercoaster. There are ups and downs, but you have to continue to ride through it. You have to continue living life. You can't be afraid of what's to come."

Mac smiled. "And that's what I've been trying to make you understand. And you've finally realized it. When you found out that New York City had gotten flooded and you wouldn't be able to see New York again, you never thought Chicago would never become your new home and didn't think it could replace New York. When the storm hit, you thought everything was being taken away from you and you didn't think you would make it. But you did. You made it through the rollercoaster."

"I wasn't the only one who made it through the rollercoaster," Stella remarked. She leaned her head on Mac's shoulder. "You did too. And so did many others."

"We made it through the storm," Mac agreed, closing his eyes. "We are survivors."

Sitting farther away from Mac and Stella was Cuddy, who was gazing intently at the chair beside her. She was imagining House was there, like he had been a year ago, waiting for their flight to Chicago. When she had taken her gaze away from the chair to look at Cameron, she began signing. "Remember when I kissed Wilson on the cheek?"

Cuddy nodded. "That was the time when Foreman said House and I were madly in love."

"It was true," signed Cameron.

"What about you and Chase?" Cuddy signed inquiringly. "Have you two ever thought about getting married some time soon?"

"What about you and House?" Cameron signed back quickly.

Cuddy hadn't considered that thought before. She hadn't seen House for a long time, but she knew they would spend some time with each other before they thought about getting married. "Maybe we'll get married before you."

"Maybe you will," Cameron signed agreeing.

Lilly carried the two coffees over to where Scotty was sitting by the window. She sat down next to him and gave him his coffee. "Just like you like it," she said. "It reminds me of when we were leaving Philly, and you went to get coffees for the two of us."

Scotty nodded. "That was also when we admitted to liking each other."

"Well, there's a positive thing about this flight."

"And what's that, Rush?" he asked.

"We get to sit next to each other," she replied.

"That is a positive thing," agreed Scotty.

Jack and Samantha sat away from the rest of their team, discussing quietly about Paige Hobson. Jack glanced over at Stella. "She knows something about Paige Hobson, doesn't she?"

Samantha nodded. "Not much, though. But there was a website that someone made, telling about Lindsay Monroe, but nothing about Paige Hobson. In bold letters at the bottom of the page, it said, 'I know your true identity, Lindsay Monroe.' She thought Stella might have made it, but I don't believe Stella would do that. Even if she did know something about Paige Hobson, she wouldn't say anything to anyone or put Lindsay's life in danger."

"Beth could have made the website," Jack remarked. "It could have been another thing that was supposed to help find the missing Paige Hobson."

"No, it couldn't have been," said Sam. "She doesn't know anything of Lindsay Monroe." She paused, lost in a moment of thought. "Luke Mala, what if he made the website? He did mention knowing Paige Hobson."

"I highly doubt it," Jack said. "Unless he had excess to a computer, then he wouldn't have had time to make it. He is in jail anyway, and he was Stella's kidnapper. He hadn't kidnapped Stella just to torture Lindsay into telling him her true identity."

"Then the website maker is left unknown," said Samantha. "Unless it was Lisa, yet she doesn't seem like the type."

"No one seems like the type at first," replied Jack. "But I don't see her making the website either." He noticed the worried expression on her face and then said, "Don't worry Sam, we'll figure out her identity. It'll just take some time."

"And that's exactly what I've been telling Paige for a long time," said Samantha. "'It'll take time, you just have to be patient.' I don't know how much longer she's really going to be able to wait. What if she decided to turn herself in, as Paige Hobson?"

"Well, that's her decision Sam," replied Jack. "We can't stop her from going to jail if that's what she thinks is the right thing to do. But she'll have to be patient, like you said, and soon that patience will pay off. She'll learn her real identity."

"But she may not be happy about her true identity," Sam whispered, so quietly that even Jack couldn't hear her.

Soon their flight to Montana arrived, and they began to board the plane. They boarded fast, and it only took a matter of minutes to get the plane off the runway. The plane was soon flying in the sky, above the snow covered states, leaving behind all of the destruction that had devastated their lives. And it seemed like as fast as they had left the city of Chicago was as fast as the time it took them to get to Montana. They had made it to Montana.

Coming off the plane, they entered the room filled with people waiting for their arriving flight. Just like Lindsay had said, Danny was waiting right there for them. He smiled when he saw his friends after such a long time. "Mac, Stella, how are you guys?" he asked.

"We're great," replied Stella with a glance at Mac. "I'm guessing Lindsay told you already?"

Danny gave her a puzzled look. "Told me already about what?"

Mac took Stella's hand and held it out to show Danny the ring on her finger. His eyes widened in surprise. "You two got married? When did this happen?"

Mac nodded. "Not too long after we evacuated New York."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Danny. "You two always had a connection."

Flack and Hawkes appeared at their side. Danny reached out to shake hands with the both of them. "Hey Flack, Hawkes, I haven't seen you guys for a long time."

"Yeah," Flack agreed. "You could have come to the Chicago Crime Lab to visit once in a while, but you decided not to. Well, I didn't bother call you either, so that's partly my fault. But where were you anyway? You didn't work as a CSI; were you even in Chicago?"

"I was in Chicago," replied Danny, "wasting my life away, thinking too much about Lindsay. But enough about my life, let's get going before…"

A voice sounded behind Danny. "Well look here, it's Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. How nice it is to see you two again."

"Adam?" questioned Stella.

"That's me alright," said Adam. "Away from the unexpected snow in Phoenix to find that there is_ more_ snow in Montana. But yes, I am here."

"Well, it is normally colder in Montana," said Sid, appearing by Adam's side.

"This is great!" exclaimed Stella. "The whole team is back again! It's feels as if we are coming home to New York, not Montana."

"Well," said Danny, "Lindsay said that from a recent report the water levels in New York City are starting to recede."

"Wait, so you're saying that we might have a chance of going back to New York?" asked Hawkes.

Danny nodded. "Now come on, we've got to get going before the day turns to night."

"But Danny, we're not the only ones coming with you," said Stella.

Danny gave her another puzzled look. "What? Then who else is coming?" Stella pointed to the crowd of FBI agents and doctors. Danny almost fell over. "I think we're going to need more than one car."

"I think we were going to need more than one car to begin with," said Mac.

Cuddy walked out into the waiting room to join the other waiting doctors. As she looked around the small room, she saw the person that she wanted to see, the person who she had wanted to see for such a long time. _Greg. _

She ran over to him and immediately took him in her arms. She cried, for she could feel the tears rushing down her face and though she could not hear herself say his name, she knew she kept saying, _Greg_. And she could imagine him saying to her, "I'm so glad you're all right. I've missed you so much, Lisa, it's so nice to see you again."

When she released him from her arms, he did something she didn't expect him to do. He signed, "I love you, Lisa."

She smiled. "I love you too, Greg."

After a few moments of them staring at each other, House nodded to Cameron, who was walking towards them. "Um, well, Danny Messer, the one who was supposed to take us to Lindsay's house in his car?" Cameron signed. "Well, he's already taking four people in his car, so I think we'll have to rent our own car."

"A car?" questioned House. "We'll need more than one car."

Cameron paused to look at House, surprised that he had learned sign. "It's nice to see you again. Where were you anyway?"

This time it was Cuddy's turn to look at House. He signed his answer, "I was wherever you wanted me to be."

"Well you were gone, and that was a good thing," said Cameron.

Cuddy had lip read what she had said. She hit her on the arm. "Well, for me it was a good thing," Cameron said. "But it's nice to see a familiar face." They walked over to the other doctors. Everyone greeted House and after not seeing him for the last year, they were glad to see him again and even were glad to hear his jokes again. Thirteen only greeted him with a smile; she still seemed a little jealous at the fact that Cuddy and House were dating.

"Where's Danny Messer?" Elena asked Samantha.

"We're not taking his car anymore," replied Samantha. "He's already taking four people with him and I don't think he'll have room for another six."

"Well, I don't think we'll be able to drive in one car," said Martin.

"That's why we're renting more than one car," said Sam.

"Where are we going anyway?" asked Vivian.

"Lindsay Monroe's house," Elena replied.

Sam turned to look at her. "You've got all the names, huh?"

"I guess so," Elena agreed.

"We should probably get going," Jack said urgently.

"Okay, Malone, we'll leave now," said Samantha. "Remember though, patience." Sam took the lead while the other FBI agents followed her.

Lilly and Scotty were the last ones to leave the airport. "I guess we're the smallest group, huh?"

"Yeah," agreed Lilly. "But our team had evacuated all over the states, so they couldn't have come with us. They'll probably send us an email or call us to say if they're okay."

"Will will probably ask if we had gotten married by now," said Scotty.

Lilly turned to look at him. "Are you saying that we should get married?"

Scotty's cheeks turned red. "Maybe," he said with a shrug.

Lilly laughed. "Come on Scotty, we've got to get going." They quickly rented a car, the only two out of the people that were going to Lindsay's house that had only had to rent one car. They soon left the airport and made their way to Bozeman.

_Chapter 37- Everyone—the CSIs, the FBI, the doctors, and Lilly and Scotty—meets up at Lindsay's house to celebrate the ending of 'The Day after Tomorrow'. _

_A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! The next chapter should be up either Tuesday or Wednesday! The countdown begins…there are 4 more chapters until the end of this story! _


	37. All Here In Montana

_Thanks to Aly and lily moonlight for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Thirty Seven: All Here In Montana_

_Lindsay Monroe's House, Bozeman, Montana_

Lindsay rushed around the house, trying to make everything look as clean and neat as it had looked the day Danny had arrived in Montana. Calleigh and Horatio had helped her, but she had a feeling she had spoken her orders too fast and they had gotten confused. So they had decided to make dinner instead, since they wouldn't have to worry about getting confused by Lindsay's instructions. Lindsay was very thankful about two things: That Calleigh and Horatio were always ready to help and that the power was on. If the power had still been off, they would be having dinner in the absolute dark, messy house. She quickly grabbed the vacuum to begin vacuuming the living room, and she wondered if Calleigh and Horatio would be disturbed by the noise. When she was done with vacuuming, she didn't hear any complaints from them, so she decided that they hadn't been bothered at all by the noise.

She ran into the kitchen to see how far they had gotten on making dinner. "How's it going?" she asked as she sat down at the table.

"Almost out of breath, huh?" asked Calleigh. "You should take a break and relax."

Lindsay shook her head. "I've been relaxing for two weeks, waiting out the storm. I like being able to clean the house again, it's something to do other than sitting around watching TV all day, like maybe Danny would do." In mention of his name, she asked, "Did Danny call to report anything from the airport yet?"

"No," replied Calleigh. "He'll probably be here soon though."

Lindsay immediately stood up from her chair and ran over to mirror. "Ugh! I've really let myself go these past two weeks." She put a hand on her disastrous looking hair. She rushed back into the kitchen. "Do you two mind if I use the shower first?"

"No," said Calleigh. "It's your house. You can use the shower first."

"Thank you," she said and ran into the bathroom.

Calleigh looked at Horatio. "You think she's trying to impress Danny when he gets back?"

Horatio shrugged. "Did you think about inviting Eric to dinner?"

"Maybe," replied Calleigh. "I don't know if he stayed in the same hotel during the storm, but I can call him to find out."

By the time they had finished making dinner and Lindsay was done with her shower, a car pulled up into the driveway. They heard a loud _honk _from Danny's car. Lindsay rushed to the door and ran outside. "Danny!" she exclaimed.

"Montana!" He took her in his arms and wrapped her up in a hug.

The rest of the CSI investigators appeared from Danny's car. Lindsay smiled. "It's like we're all back in New York, working together again."

"If you joined the CSI again, maybe it would," said Danny.

"Well, then maybe you should get a better job than, 'Hi, I'm Mr. Daniel Messer and I'll be your server today. What would you like to eat?'?"

Danny shook his head.

"And maybe you could be our server for tonight."

"Okay, that's enough Lindsay," said Danny. "I get it. I should be a CSI too. But you should join the CSI again; it'll be better than your FBI job, no?"

Lindsay shrugged. "Maybe," she said.

Stella came over to join them. "Hey Lindsay," she said cheerfully. "Are you ready to see your guest list?"

"My guest list?" asked Lindsay with a suspicious look at Danny.

"Yeah," said Danny. "We CSI investigators aren't the only ones attending dinner tonight."

She turned to see that there were more cars pulling into the driveway. "Who…?" But before she could finish her sentence she turned to Danny and said, "I hope y'all took a shower of your own before you came here."

"Some of us did," said Danny.

"Wait, Lindsay, did you just say, 'y'all'?" questioned Stella.

"Yep," replied Lindsay. "Y'all got a problem with that?"

"More and more like a country girl," said Danny.

"That's what you get for growing up in Montana," said Lindsay.

They turned to look at the other arriving cars. "Is by any chance Samantha here?" Lindsay asked Stella.

"Oh, the whole FBI team is here," said Stella. "And some doctors from New Jersey are here too. And, two detectives from, well, what used to be Philly are here as well."

A voice sounded from the front door. "Uh, Lindsay, I think we're going to need to make more food…"

Lindsay turned around to see Calleigh's shocked face. "Don't worry; we'll have plenty of food to make. And we will all help."

They waited for everyone to get out of their cars and greeted them at the front door. They stayed outside for a while, but then got cold and headed inside. Lindsay went over to talk to Samantha. When she saw Cuddy, she greeted her with a friendly smile. She taught Lindsay the alphabet in sign language and some useful terms. She was glad to see that Cuddy was doing well and that she had come so accustomed to living in a soundless world.

All in all, it seemed as if Cuddy had come more used to the fact of being deaf and dealing with it more than she had accepted being Paige Hobson. She was able to live her life on while she kept crying over wanting to know the truth. What had caused her to be that way? Why couldn't she handle the truth, accepting who she really was? She didn't know who she really was, that was the problem.

Many of the guests had shifted into the kitchen, helping Calleigh and Horatio with preparing dinner. Lindsay hurried to join them since she hadn't helped them with the first dinner. It didn't take them long to finish; soon the table was set and they were sitting at the kitchen table. Not everyone had decided to eat in the kitchen; Lindsay had allowed Danny and the others to eat in the living room under one condition: If they dropped any food or spilled any drinks on the floor they would have to clean it up themselves. And she told Danny he wouldn't be allowed to watch the flat screen TV again. She knew he would be devastated by that.

Sitting at the table was Mac and Stella, Calleigh, Eric, who Calleigh had been able to contact, and Horatio, Samantha, and herself. The others stood around in the kitchen like Lilly and Scotty, Jack and Elena, Cuddy and House, and some of the other doctors. But the two Dannys, Adam, Flack, Hawkes, Martin, and Sid were in the living room, watching a football game and yelling as loud as they could. Chase and Cameron were also in there, and even Thirteen was enjoying her time yelling at the TV when the football team made a bad play. Everyone was having fun, just the way as it should be.

When dinner came to an end, everyone did their part and helped clear the dishes. Nothing was dropped or spilled on the carpet in the living room, which made Lindsay happy. The kitchen still looked the way it did before anyone had come to her house, which showed how much everyone had helped with cleaning up. Even though Lindsay hadn't been introduced to everyone at the party—well that's what it was now—she felt like she knew everyone. And she was glad that everyone was enjoying their time. But only one person wasn't. And that was her.

She was outside now, gazing out at the sky filled with stars. The snow was almost gone now, and the temperature had begun to warm up. Montana was normal again, but now that the storm had passed by, and things were starting to go back to normal, she had all the right to worry again about her problem, about secretly being two different people. The door creaked behind her, and she quickly turned around to see Samantha, standing out on the porch. "You're thinking about it again, aren't you?"

Lindsay nodded. "It's hard not to, you know?"

"I understand." She walked over to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Lindsay looked down to the ground. "I'd rather not."

Samantha glanced at the night sky and then back at Lindsay. "Do you want to show me around, like the land around your house? It's a nice area here, in Bozeman."

She nodded. "Yeah, it is nice. The country is always nice." She looked up at Sam. "I'll show you around."

The two walked around the house, by the trees on her property and by the lake in the backyard. They were soon sitting on the deck, gazing into the water of the lake. "You know, you always seemed to have something against Danny," said Samantha. "I think you two are a good couple though."

Lindsay laughed. "Yeah, I do like Danny. I just didn't want to admit it. With the whole Paige Hobson thing, I didn't want Danny to have to know anything about it or see me miserable, crying every night. I pushed him away to protect him from becoming the way I did. But really, he quit his job as a CSI and then became a waiter because he couldn't stand working without me. He became miserable without me."

"How did he react when he saw you at the airport after not seeing you for a year?" asked Samantha.

"He called me Montana a lot," said Lindsay, "my nickname. We had a few fights, but soon were able to agree. But the night that Calleigh and Horatio came to Montana, I went to sleep early, and when Danny came in to say goodnight to me, he found out about the names 'Adisa' and 'Paige'. But after that, he never said anything."

"He didn't have a clue who they were, did he?"

"No," replied Lindsay. "But when I figure out who I am, I'm going to tell him. He deserves to know; especially after all he's been through."

"Do you think Danny might have made that website?"

"That website," Lindsay said. "No, he wouldn't have made it. Who knows who made that website? As long as the person who made the website doesn't say who I really am, then I don't think I should worry about it that much."

Sam nodded. "You know, you've _have_ changed. You don't cry through the night, thinking that is the only way of forgetting everything. You don't keep calling me on the phone, asking if I've figured out anything about your true identity."

"But I do still do that," said Lindsay. "I asked you a bunch of times at work if you've found out anything and I've cried myself to sleep at night. I am still worried."

"But you've become stronger," explained Sam. "You might be scared of the truth, but you know that whoever you are you can't stop from being that person, Paige Hobson, Lindsay Monroe, or not. You know that you have to continue living life, even when things are difficult. You believe that if you're Paige or Lindsay, you believe that's who you were meant to be. You're not afraid."

Lindsay looked at Samantha thoughtfully. Through the storm, she had begun to accept life as either Paige or Lindsay, and knew that she couldn't stop from knowing the truth. It would be hard to face, especially if she was actually Paige, but she had to know. She couldn't hide from the truth forever. "DNA testing," she said. "I want a DNA test."

"I don't know if that'll help determine your true identity..."

"No," Lindsay said disagreeing. "You haven't tried it. It's my decision, I want a DNA test. If it comes up as Lindsay Monroe, then we'll keep continuing to find out if that DNA test was real or not. If it comes up as Paige Hobson, you tell the FBI, and I go to jail, where I'm supposed to be right now."

"Okay," Sam agreed. "But we'll have to wait some time. You said there might be a chance on going back to New York?"

Lindsay nodded. "Maybe in the next few months."

"We should wait until then. But I'll get a DNA test for you before we leave, if we can go back to New York. How does that sound?"

"That's good," replied Lindsay. "Thank you, Sam."

"You're welcome," said Samantha.

They walked away from the lake, heading back to the house. When they had reached the front door, they realized that some of the guests had started to leave, going to check into a hotel for the night. On the front porch, Cuddy was waiting for Lindsay. She walked over to her and signed, "What is it?", which had been one of the things she had learned to sign.

Instead of signing back, she handed her cell phone to her. Lindsay quickly read the message.

_It'll be 2 hard 2 explain 2 u if I sign. But, I told her, Stella, about u being Paige Hobson. I'm sorry, but she had already known something, so I'd thought it would be better for her to know._

Lindsay looked up to Cuddy in surprise. "Why?" she signed.

Cuddy mouthed the words as she signed. "She had to know. She's that 'someone' you've been looking for to understand your problem."

Lindsay looked down at the phone again and then gave it back to Cuddy. "Thank you," she signed. She signed the next sentence more slowly. "She did need to know; she is that 'someone'."

Cuddy nodded. "Goodbye, Lindsay."

"Paige," she signed back. As she had requested Samantha to call her before, she told Cuddy to call her the same. "Call me Paige."

"Goodbye, Paige," Cuddy signed again.

"Goodbye, Lisa," signed Lindsay.

Cuddy nodded and then walked over to House. She waved one last time at her and then she left. Lindsay went back inside the house, to find many of the CSI investigators talking together. She hurried over to join them.

"Thanks Mac," Sid was saying. "That was the Thanksgiving dinner I had in mind."

"I didn't make it," Mac replied. "You should thank Calleigh and Horatio; they were the ones who made the dinner. I just helped."

"We all did," Stella said, who was standing besides him. "But I would thank Lindsay too. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have survived this storm."

Lindsay looked up at the mention of her name. "I just told you about the storm…I didn't help you guys through the storm at all."

"Sure you did," said Stella. "You told us of precautions we should follow, the things we needed for the storm, and most of all, you warned us about the storm. It was our faults for not believing you at first."

Lindsay didn't know what to say. During the two weeks of the storm, all she had done was cry and worry, the two things she was good at. Lamely, she managed to say, "Thanks, for um, thanking me."

Stella nodded. "You helped us kiddo. You deserve your thanks."

Lindsay smiled at the mention of the name _kiddo._ That was Stella's nickname for her. She hadn't called her that for a long time.

"Well," Sid said, waking her from her thoughts, "I thank you too."

Lindsay nodded; still overwhelmed by the thanks everyone was giving her. Suddenly, she saw Adam, who was about to walk out the front door with a cake, the dessert they had made. Horatio nodded to him. Calleigh couldn't help herself from laughing, which made Eric begin to laugh as well. Adam stopped by the door. Lindsay walked over to him. "What do you think you're doing with that?"

Adam looked down at the cake. "I'd thought they let me take it on the plane and I'd give it to my folks when I got back to Arizona?"

She put out her hand. "Hand over the cake mister."

"Why should I?" he asked. "You'd eat it all yourself then."

"I'd let you have a piece of the cake if you gave it back to me," Lindsay said, getting ready to negotiate with him.

"How about five bucks for it?" he asked. "Just think of how much richer you would be with five bucks. You're driving, and all of the sudden you get hungry. You stop at a gas station, only to realize you don't have enough money to buy anything. But if you had those five bucks, you'd be able to buy that candy bar you wanted."

"I would have paid more than five bucks for that cake if I had bought it," said Lindsay. "Do you seriously believe I'm going to let you pay me that much for it?" Before he could reply, she grabbed the cake out of his hands and took it away to the kitchen. "And," she added, as he followed her into the kitchen, "I would be carrying more than five bucks with me if I were driving somewhere. I have a better allowance unlike you Adam."

"I was just negotiating," Adam said with a shrug. "So can I have a piece of that cake?"

"Why should I let you?" Lindsay questioned. "You didn't give it back when I said, so you lost your cake. But you can pay me five bucks for a piece of cake."

"Or I can take the cake and shove it in your face," Adam suggested.

"The cake's free," she said, moving out of the way to let him take a piece of the cake. The other CSI investigators appeared in the room, along with Calleigh, Eric, Horatio, Jack, and Samantha. Elena also appeared in the room, saying, "It that cake?"

"What else would it be?" Adam asked her.

Elena shrugged, but then went over to grab a piece of the cake. Jack and Samantha laughed, but they soon decided to have a piece of cake themselves. The others decided to have cake as well and they talked for a while. When they were all done with dessert, they once again helped in clearing the table and washing dishes. Soon everyone began leaving, and Lindsay hurried to say her quick goodbye to Sam.

"Cheer up," Sam said, noticing the frown on her face. "We'll figure out that secret of yours."

"Okay," Lindsay said. "Thanks for the reassurance."

She closed the door to be left in the dark of the hallway. But she didn't have that sense of feeling that she was all alone, because she wasn't. She turned around to see Danny and he walked over to her. "I'd say goodnight to you, like the others," she said. "But Danny, I don't think I can let you leave again. I can't leave _you_ again."

Danny hugged her. "That's all right Montana," he whispered. "I'll stay."

Lindsay looked up at him, her frown disappearing. "Thank you."

She knew he would stay; she knew he would help her in any way. She started to wonder if he was that 'someone' who would actually understand her problem, more than Stella would. But something still told her she couldn't tell him, not just yet.

_Chapter 38- Lindsay finally decides to tell Danny and Stella about her double identity. But Lindsay will finally find out who she truly is… There will also be a little SMacked moment in this chapter!_

_A/N: The next chapter will either be up Monday or Tuesday! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I know I said there were 4 more chapters left in the last chapter, but I really meant to say 5, so now there are 4 more chapters left! :D The countdown continues...now there are 4 more chapters until the end of this story!_


	38. This Is Who I Am

_Thanks to Aly and lily moonlight for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Thirty Eight: This Is Who I Am_

_5 months later…_

"Hey, Lindsay, I think I might have caught something!" Danny shouted from the deck.

Lindsay hurried over to him. They had been fishing off the lake for the afternoon. Samantha had visited that day, and was also trying her luck at fishing. She was still living in Bozeman, but soon would leave off to New York, where things were going back to normal again. "Are you sure you didn't just hook your line on a rock or something?"

Danny shook his head. He had actually caught his line on a rock earlier that day, and Samantha had already caught a few fish. This would be Danny's first if it wasn't a rock. He reeled his line in, and surprisingly, he didn't catch a rock. "Beat that Sam!" he exclaimed.

"Good job, you got your first fish," Lindsay praised him. "I think I know what we'll be having for dinner tonight."

"Lindsay!" a voice exclaimed.

She turned around to see Mac and Stella walking over to her. She waved to them. "Do you want to try your luck at fishing?"

"Maybe later," said Mac.

Mac and Stella had also stayed in Montana, living in a small apartment in Helena. They, too, would be going back to New York in a week or so, so they would soon all being living in the city again. "Well, that's okay; I'll give you the report on how it's been so far. Danny just caught his first fish and Samantha has caught about three or four already. I caught one fish, but not everyone can catch a bunch of fish like Sam."

"Hey!" a surprised gasp came from Sam. "It's not my fault that the fish like my bait the best."

"Anyway, what is it that you've come to tell me?" Lindsay asked both Mac and Stella.

"Well," said Stella, "it's big news."

"Big news?" questioned Lindsay.

"Yeah…"

Danny turned around. "Come on Stel, don't hold back. How big of news can it be?"

Stella looked down at the ground and then up at Mac. Lindsay saw her smile, and that gave her the answer. "No," Lindsay said, "is that it?"

"Yes," replied Stella. Still looking at Mac, she grabbed his hand and said, "I'm pregnant."

Danny turned around again, almost letting go of his fishing pole. "What?"

Samantha shook her head at Danny's surprise. "That's great to hear."

"I'm so glad for you two!" exclaimed Lindsay, wrapping both of them in a hug. "How long has it been?"

"Three weeks," replied Stella.

Now that Stella had told them her news, both she and Mac decided to try fishing. They only caught one fish like Danny and Lindsay had, but Samantha kept reeling up fish. Lindsay started to wonder if it had something to do with the position of the lake she was fishing at. Soon they went inside to go make dinner, Samantha had decided to stay, and as they ate they talked and laughed about almost everything. Nothing of the storm that had devastated them all months ago got mentioned and nothing about Lindsay's secret came up either. But after dinner, she decided it was time to tell the others the truth, about her double identity.

She talked to Samantha, telling her that tonight she would take the DNA test to see who she really was. When the results came back tomorrow, or a few days from now, she would tell everyone her real identity. But tonight, she would tell them of the story of Lindsay Monroe/Paige Hobson and how she became known with these two different names. She would tell Stella herself, while Samantha and Mac would explain the story to Danny.

"Lindsay wanted me to tell you something," Samantha began, "something that she has wanted you to know for a long time."

"And I'm pretty sure you knew something of it, Lisa told you, right?" Lindsay asked Stella.

Stella put her hands around her coffee cup for warmth. "About Paige Hobson?"

"Yes," replied Lindsay, "That I might be her."

"She may be her, she may not be," explained Samantha. "That's why she's taking a DNA test; to see if she's really Paige Hobson."

"What would be the bad reason about being her?" asked Danny. "I mean, I've heard Lindsay mention her name once, while she was sleeping and then the name Adisa, but is Paige Hobson some kind of a criminal or something?"

"You could say something like that," replied Samantha.

"I wasn't exactly a criminal," said Lindsay, "maybe something worse. But for you to understand, I'd have to explain the story first, the true life of Lindsay Monroe and Paige Hobson." Stella nodded her head, allowing her to tell the story. She explained of the life of Paige Hobson, who had been working as a data analyst and always would try to make a difference in the world. She told her of Adisa and Julia, and how she had gone missing when Emil Dornvald came to her office one morning. She told her of how she had murdered General Gamba and of the interrogation between her and Samantha. She explained little of the life of Lindsay Monroe, since Stella had already known most of the major things that had happened in her life. In the other room, Samantha quickly told the story to Danny, while Mac just listened, even though he had already heard of the story.

She then explained to Stella about her signing "Paige Hobson" on the bathroom stall so that someone would find it. She told her how she had cried herself to sleep almost every night after Stella had been found and how the only reason why she didn't like Danny was because she thought he wouldn't understand what she was going through and she didn't want him to have to be troubled by that problem. She explained of the DNA test she was going to take, to find out who she really was. She didn't say anything of the website; Mac could later tell her that if he wanted to, but right now, the website wasn't important. Lindsay looked up, to see the shock in Stella's face.

Stella's hands were trembling as she reached out for her coffee cup. Her voice seemed to be filled with the same sorrow that Lindsay had felt throughout this whole experience as she spoke. "Why didn't you tell me this?" she asked, almost crying. "Why?"

Lindsay almost felt taken aback. She hadn't wanted Stella to know; she didn't think she would have understood. "I didn't think you would understand what I was going through," she said lamely. "But, I guess I was wrong."

"Lindsay, not too many people are going to understand what you're going through, living two different lives," Stella said, her voice rising. "Not many people go through that type of thing. But there are people who care for you and want to make sure you're all right. And I'm one of those people." She paused for a second, and when she spoke again, her voice was a quiet whisper. "Ever since I heard you talk with Mac that one day, about when you signed your name on the bathroom stall, I was concerned about you. You said that the person who found that signature would be that 'someone' you were looking for, that 'someone' who would understand your problem."

Stella reached for her cell phone, turned it on, and put it down on the table. There was a picture on her cell phone, and in realization, Lindsay saw that it was the picture of the signature she had signed on the bathroom stall in the New York Crime Lab a year ago. Stella had been the one who found her signature. She was that 'someone' who was going to understand what she was going through.

"I knew since the time that I got found that something had happened to you," Stella continued. "You were miserable all the time and I could tell you cried a lot too. I heard that phone call you answered, when we were about to watch the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow'. You sounded so distressed when you answered that call. 'Have you figured out who I am?' That call was from Samantha, wasn't it?"

Lindsay nodded. She had also been right about that. Stella had listened in on the phone call Samantha had made to her a year ago.

"You didn't need to tell me this," said Stella. "But you did, and I'm glad you did. I worry about you kiddo, and I don't want you to have to go through this alone."

Lindsay smiled. "You called me kiddo. You haven't called me that for a long time."

"You like the name kiddo, huh?" Stella asked. "I can call you that more if you want." She took a sip of her coffee. "So this DNA test, do you really think it's going to determine who you are?"

"That's what I'm hoping," said Lindsay.

"So you might end up being Paige Hobson, who had escaped from jail after she murdered someone?"

Lindsay nodded. "But please Stel, don't remember me as that. I would never intentionally murder someone. I'm not that person anymore, if I am Paige Hobson."

"And if you aren't?" asked Stella.

"If I'm not Paige Hobson then I'll come back to work as a CSI when we go back to New York. That would mean that the real Paige Hobson is still missing. But if I am her, I'll be going to jail for the rest of my life."

"What about Jack and Samantha? Wouldn't they get in trouble for helping you?"

"We've already worked that out," replied Lindsay. "They're going to say that I was using an alias, which is the truth if I'm really Paige Hobson. And they'll say that they had no idea that I was Paige Hobson. And I won't say a thing, just go along with what Jack and Samantha says."

"But you can't do that," Stella said. "I mean, you can't go to jail. You didn't murder anyone! There's no proof!"

"The identity is proof enough Stel," said Lindsay.

In the other room, after Samantha had explained the plan of what Lindsay would do if she really was Paige Hobson, Danny burst into tears. "No," he sobbed. "She can't do that. She can't go to jail. She'd never make it through jail."

"You'll be surprised on what a person can handle," said Samantha.

But before she could say anything else, Danny yelled, "She's not just a person! She's Lindsay Monroe, no one else! You can't put her in jail!"

"Danny, you need to calm down," said Mac.

"She's Lindsay Monroe!" Danny shouted. "Not Paige Hobson."

_She's Lindsay Monroe, no one else! _That reminded Sam of the time when Lindsay had said herself that she was Lindsay Monroe. She remembered during the time of Stella's disappearance that every time she would walk around in the crime lab, Lindsay would try to stay out of her sight. But that had been so long ago, and now Lindsay would cooperate with the FBI, if she was Paige Hobson or not. "You're right Danny. Right now, she's Lindsay Monroe and she could be her. But without taking that DNA test, she won't know for sure."

Danny was shaking his head. He didn't believe that she was Paige Hobson; he didn't want to believe it. But he didn't want to argue anymore, so he just stood up from his chair and walked out of the room. He was done; he had heard enough.

Back in the kitchen, Lindsay and Stella were now getting up from their chairs and leaving the room. Stella had taken the news well enough, Lindsay thought. But she wondered how Danny had responded to everything and hoped he understood as much as Stella had. When she gazed through the open doorway of his room, she saw that he was sitting besides his bed, silently crying. But she didn't try to comfort him. Since he hadn't taken the news of her being both Lindsay Monroe and Paige Hobson so well, she didn't want to take the chance of how he would respond to her trying to comfort him.

* * *

A few days later, after Lindsay and Samantha had told the others of the news, Lindsay awoke early and immediately got dressed and showered. She then left, without being noticed, and drove to the new building where Samantha worked. Today would be the day when she figured out who she really was. Today they would leave Montana to New York, back to the city where they had once lived. The drive seemed to trail on forever, and she thought day would pass her by before she could find out the answer of her real identity.

She soon pulled up to the FBI building and hurried to park her car and ran inside the building. She quickly found Samantha, who was sitting at her desk, with a file in her hand. She sat in a seat across from her desk and took the file from her hand. She tried to read her expression, to tell if the answer would be bad or not, but she couldn't tell. She looked away from Samantha and down at the file. Slowly, she opened the file, and read the results.

After she had looked at the results long enough, she nodded to Samantha and gave the file back to her. Samantha took the file with her as she walked over to Jack. Then the three of them left the building, each of them driving in their own car to get back to Lindsay's house.

The drive home was quicker and when they got there, Mac and Stella were waiting for them outside. Lindsay had left the house unnoticed, but she had still left a note to tell them where she had gone, so they didn't worry. But she didn't see Danny; she wondered if he hadn't wanted to see her come home or if he was still sleeping. Either way, she would tell him the news, even if he didn't want to hear it.

She walked over to Mac and Stella, signaling them to follow her inside. She found Danny in the living room, but before she could say anything to him, he shook his head and followed her into the kitchen. There, they all took a seat at the table, and waited for Lindsay to talk. When she didn't say anything, Danny prompted her by saying, "You're her, aren't you?"

Even at his rude comment, she didn't say anything. She slowly nodded. But to her surprise, Danny didn't get up from his seat and storm off. He looked at her, with tears in his eyes, but still didn't say anything. The news had troubled him, just like she had thought it would.

"So when we go back to New York, she'll go to jail?" asked Mac.

Samantha nodded.

"Are you sure these DNA results can be trusted?" Stella asked.

"DNA doesn't lie," said Jack. "It came up as Paige Hobson. That means she's Paige Hobson."

Stella nodded. "Does she have to go to jail, for a crime she committed so long ago?"

Lindsay answered the question this time. "I murdered someone. I deserved to be in jail. It wouldn't be right for me to not to go to jail, to just get away with murder. Besides, the crime lab doesn't need me. I wasn't ever really wanted there anyway."

"Lindsay, you know that's not true!" exclaimed Stella.

"It's Paige now," replied Lindsay. "The crime lab doesn't need me, Stel; you'll be able to work there without me. Aiden was the one who should have stayed alive, and I should have been the one who died in the burning of that car."

She remembered when they had recovered a dead body, buried beyond recognition, lying in the front seat of a buried car. Later they had figured out that the dead body was Aiden Burn's, a detective who had used to work as a CSI, but had gotten fired for tampering with evidence. DJ Pratt had killed her, after she had tried to catch him as a killer in her own private investigation. DJ Pratt had been a suspect in many crimes, but there had been no solid evidence to prove he was the killer. If it hadn't been for Aiden, they would have never caught Pratt.

"Both you and Aiden were good detectives," said Mac. "Neither of you deserve to die."

"Did you hear what you said Mac?" asked Lindsay. "You said, '_were _good detectives.' I'm not a detective anymore. I'm Paige Hobson, the data analyst, the killer on the loose. You don't need me, and as time goes on, you'll begin to forget me."

She paused and looked at Mac and Stella. "You have a child on the way, you'll be back in New York soon, and you'll be so busy with taking care of your child and working that you won't even think twice about me. You won't need to think of me. I'm not saying that you have to forget about me. What I'm saying is that I don't want you to worry about me, okay? I'll be fine, trust me.'

"In jail is where I deserve to be and that's where I plan to be most of my life. If you want, you can visit me there. But if you can't, that's fine too. Just promise me you won't worry about me, please."

Lindsay was silent for a moment, and Jack took that as his time to speak. "We'll be leaving to New York soon. We've already talked it out with the others at the FBI agency that we would be escorting Paige there."

"We're leaving to New York today too," said Stella. "But, probably not at the same time."

Jack nodded. "So we'll be saying our goodbyes here."

Stella nodded her agreement. Then they stood up from their chairs and walked over to the front door. Lindsay grabbed her suitcase and then met up with the others at the door. Mac and Stella said goodbye to her first, both of them giving her a hug. Stella said to her, "I won't worry about you kiddo. But I won't forget you."

Lindsay again smiled at the name of _kiddo_. "Thank you Stella, Mac. Good luck you two."

She walked outside to the front porch, where Jack and Samantha were waiting for her. Danny was also standing there, his hands in his jean pockets. She told Jack and Samantha to wait by the car for her, while she would go talk to Danny. She nodded to him. "Hey."

"Hey you," said Danny. "Are you here to say goodbye?"

"No," replied Lindsay. "We're not saying goodbye. We're making a memory." She kissed him on the cheek and then took his hand. "Don't think of this as a goodbye. Think of this as a hello, of a new beginning. Kiss me. Remember me as Paige."

Danny didn't hesitate, and he leaned down to kiss her. When he leaned away from her, she could see tears in his eyes. "Oh Danny," she said. "Don't cry in front of me. I can't bear to see you the way I was just a year ago."

"Sorry," he said, wiping away his tears. "I love you…Paige."

"I love you too Danny," she said and hugged him.

He still cried, and when he whispered into her ear and said, "I'll miss you Montana," she could hear the distress in his voice. She held on to his hand for a few more moments and looked at his face one more time. "Promise me you'll visit me in jail, okay?" she said, her eyes now filling with tears.

"I promise," Danny said. "And I won't love anyone but you, okay?"

She nodded. "I'll always love you too Danny." She let go of Danny's hand, looked at him, and then turned to walk over to Jack and Samantha. Before she got in her car, she waved to Danny, who waved back to her. And then they were gone, away from Bozeman and to the airport where she would leave Montana far behind.

The travel through the airport was fast, and soon they were on their flight heading for New York. She sat in the middle of Jack and Samantha, for she wasn't allowed to go anyway or leave their sight. She was a criminal now, and she couldn't try to escape again, like she had done when she had gone to jail for the first time. But she barely remembered when that happened; she could hardly remember being Paige Hobson. But what she could remember was when she shot General Gamba, and that would be the thing she remembered for most of her life. That was the reason why she was going to jail.

She had fallen asleep, and when they got to New York, she awoke. Jack and Samantha escorted her off the plane and through the airport. They drove her to the New York Jail, where she would spend the rest of her life. She gazed out the window to see the city of New York, which had now changed after it had been rebuilt, the last time. Even though the city had been rebuilt, there were still many buildings she could see that hadn't been completed, and there were also many lots that showed signs of a new building or store being built there. As they drove up to the jail, she tried to hold on to the memory of the city, of how it had been before the storm, but she couldn't. She couldn't remember anymore and she didn't want to.

They entered the jail, where they took her profile, fingerprinted her, and then took her to her jail cell. It went by so fast, she wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to Jack and Samantha. Her goodbye had been in Montana, and now, she had to say hello to her new life in jail.

_Chapter 39- Ever wondered what happened to Amber during this storm? In this chapter you'll find out… Many House/Cuddy moments in this chapter too!_

_A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter! The next chapter should be up either Saturday or Sunday. The countdown continues…3 more chapter until the end!_


	39. An Unlikely Hero

_Thanks to nikkinicky420, Aly, and lily moonlight for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter!_

_Chapter Thirty Eight: An Unlikely Hero_

_Miami, Florida_

Cuddy took hold of House's hand. She couldn't tolerate the sight, what had happened to _her. _Most of the team had hated her, thought she had worked her way through the competition to being a doctor to just win, and knew she had to have the right answer to everything. That had been the way she acted, but not everyone had hated her. Wilson, he had loved her, even if he had broken up with her. This shouldn't have happened to her, Cuddy kept thinking, she didn't deserve it. Amber Volakis had died in the hurricanes that had devastated Florida. And they were now attending her funeral.

She hadn't seen Amber for such a long time; it had been almost two years now since she last heard from her. They had been working at Princeton Plainsboro, back in New Jersey, now that the floods had completely receded, when Wilson burst through the doors of her office. (Yes, she still worked as administrator at Princeton Plainsboro, even though it had been a long time since she had worked there.) She had signed, "What's wrong?", while House translated to him what she had signed and Wilson only replied with more cries of sadness, giving House a paper that explained of how Amber died and that her funeral was being held in Miami, her new home. That was when they figured out where she had evacuated to, after Hurricane Arthur hit the east coast. Wilson had loved her all along, even if they had broken up.

She cried, probably loudly, because she couldn't hear. When she looked up at House, tears rolled down his face, and even she was surprised that he was crying. It wasn't like him, but it was nice to see that he actually cared for others besides himself and her. Wilson was probably sobbing the loudest of them all, only wishing for Amber to be alive. The old staff—Cameron, Chase, and Foreman—stood by the new staff—Kutner, Taub, and Thirteen—also crying too. And she knew how hard it must have been for Amber's family, especially for her mother and father, to hear that Amber had died in the catastrophic storm that had devasted millions around the world. There was no one that wasn't crying, how couldn't they, when they all knew Amber so well?

Cuddy turned around, just to look at the setting sun for a minute. But that wasn't the only thing she saw. Lilly Rush and Scotty Valens were standing farther away from the group, looking at her. She smiled and nodded to them. They didn't have to come to Amber's funeral, they hadn't even known her. But it made everything better, to know that two more people did care for her. She then mouthed the words, "Thank you."

Lilly nodded. When she turned around, Lilly whispered in Scotty's ear, "We're not the only ones who attended the funeral."

She nodded to her right, where Horatio was standing. Along with him were Calleigh and Eric.

Cuddy stood there, still firmly gripping on House's hand. He didn't seem to mind though; he only tightened his grip around her hand. He turned to look at her with his tear filled eyes. He mouthed the words, "Are you okay?"

She nodded. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Horatio Caine, who was a CSI investigator for the Miami PD, standing by two other CSI investigators. She smiled again; glad to see that more people she knew had attended the funeral. But she realized the only reason they had come to the funeral was because of her. They knew her and not Amber. They still felt sorry for her, because she was deaf.

She had only seen Horatio, back in Montana, but they hadn't truly ever met. He would have never known she was deaf or even heard of Amber, so what was his reason for being there anyway? But soon she found out the answer.

After the funeral had ended, Horatio walked up to her. _"Lisa Cuddy?" _

House didn't have to interpret for her, she could lip read her own name. She nodded.

As he began talking again, House signed to her what he was saying. _"Amber Volakis, she was a doctor that worked for you?"_

She signaled to House, while he said_, "She worked for me. Dr. Cuddy is my boss."_

"_Amber Volakis had been a witness in a crime before we had evacuated Florida. I told her about the upcoming hurricanes and she insisted that she was leaving soon, but by reports it said that she stayed behind, helping others through the storm."_

Cuddy stared at him in disbelief. The Amber she remembered didn't treat patients just to help them; she did it so she could impress House and have him hire her for the job. She never would have thought she would go helping people in the storm. That was what Cameron was going to do, back when Hurricane Arthur was going to hit New Jersey, but she had decided to evacuate to Chicago instead. Amber had had a caring side to her, a side that Wilson had only known about. "She died a hero," Cuddy signed.

After House had translated, Horatio nodded. _"A hero indeed she was." _He put on his sunglasses and turned to look at the setting sun. _"Dr. Cuddy and…"_

"_Dr. House," _he replied.

"_Dr. Cuddy and Dr. House," _said Horatio_, "I thank you for this talk."_

"No, thank you," Cuddy signed, "for attending Amber's funeral."

House again translated. Horatio replied_, "It was my honor to do so." _He turned to walk away, leaving her and House stand there alone. They soon left, where Amber's memories would be left in Miami.

Maybe Lilly and Scotty had attended Amber's funeral only because they had heard of her from Cuddy. But Horatio had attended her funeral because he knew Amber. He had actually talked to her. He had deserved to be at the funeral. And Amber, she hadn't died as she had been remembered while competing for the job as doctor on House's staff, back in New Jersey. She had died trying to save lives. She had died as a true hero, something no one would ever forget.

* * *

It had been five hours after they had attended Amber's funeral. They were now back in New Jersey; back to living the normal life they had a year ago. Of course, nothing would ever be the same, not after Amber had died. Wilson would be miserable, and he had already decided to take some time off at work, Cuddy had allowed him too. She too, would be miserable, not only mourning the death of Amber, but living her life soundless. Hers and Wilson's life would never be the same.

She was outside, sitting on the front porch of her house, gazing out at the stars. She had just had dinner with House, who had decided to take care of washing the dishes for her. She knew she should have helped him, but even that didn't make her move from her spot. She was too distracted by the beauty of the night. The door opened behind her, although she didn't hear it, and didn't know it was House until he came to sit down next to her. "Are you okay?" he signed.

She nodded. When it came to their conversations, they were usually long, and House would sign to her for hours. He was the only one who would ever sit down with her and listen to what she had to say. Even Cameron wouldn't discuss much with her; she didn't like having to sign for a long period of time.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" he signed inquiringly. "Is the Amber thing bothering you?"

"Not Amber," she signed quickly.

"Then what is it, Cuddy?"

She looked up at House. "I need to hear again, House," she signed. "I can't live my life like this anymore, not being able to hear anything. I want to hear your voice, not just imagine it. And I want to hear my voice again, although I probably won't even sound the same, since I haven't actually talked for a long time. But forgetting that, I think I should get the cochlear implant. Do you support that?"

"I support whatever decision you make," he signed. "This is if you want a cochlear implant, though. If you want to get it just because of me, then I think you should reconsider your decision."

Cuddy shook her head. "I want this for me and for you. I'm not stuck in between not hearing and hearing anymore. I need to hear. I can't live in soundless world for the rest of my life. But first, I'm going to have to figure out if I'm a good candidate with had having Meniere's."

House didn't sign anything after that, being quiet for a few minutes. "Look, about not supporting your decision to get that surgery a year ago, I'm sorry."

"How come you didn't support my decision? Was it because of me becoming disabled?"

"Maybe it was because of that then. I didn't want you to end up miserable, like me."

"You admit you were miserable. But I'd be more miserable if I had dealt with Meniere's than being deaf."

"I guess I thought you'd be able to control the Meniere's, like it wasn't even there. But when I saw your worsening condition, I knew you were right. You would be more miserable with the disease than being deaf. But Cuddy, I've realized that being deaf didn't make you disabled or different. You're a normal person, just like everyone else. I love you for who you are, if you can hear or not. I just want to make sure you're happy with your life, I don't want you to ever become miserable like I did."

Cuddy took that thought into consideration. He had been miserable before, but now he wasn't. She still had one question for him. "Was that really the reason why you told Stacy to leave?"

He knew what she was talking about. Stacy, who had originally been his wife, had come to Princeton Plainsboro with her husband, Mark, saying that he needed medical treatment right away. She had taken a job at PPTH, after asking Cuddy if it was okay, and while House was treating Mark as a patient, Stacy had begun to fall in love with House again. When she was about to leave Mark for House, he told her that no matter what, he wouldn't be able to make her happy because he couldn't change. Wilson had said the only reason why he told Stacy to leave was because he wanted to be miserable.

"It wasn't because I wanted to be miserable," House signed. "It was true, that I couldn't make her happy. I couldn't change for her."

"You make me happy," signed Cuddy. "You changed for me."

"I guess it was more complicated for her. But I'm glad she decided to stay with Mark. I wouldn't have been happy with her anyway. The part that I make you happy and changed for you is because I truly love you."

"I love you too Greg. But, what if we did decide to get married? I mean, that may be far away from now, but have you considered the thought? I want to have children, House; I've been trying to have children for such a long time. But there's a fifty percent chance that they could inherit Meniere's from me, or even become deaf like me. I don't want you to have to go through that, I don't want to have to go through that myself. I don't want to see our child, our children suffer."

House took her hand. "Our children will be beautiful no matter what. They won't suffer. They'll be okay."

"So you're saying that you'd want to get married?" she signed.

He nodded. She smiled; glad to know that he loved her that much, that he loved her for who she was. He signed to her, "May I ask you a question?"

And now he was using good manners. "Yes," she signed.

"How come that FBI agent thought you looked so much like Lianna Sardo?"

Cuddy froze at that question. It had been a year ago when she had talked with Samantha Spade and told her about Lianna. But she had promised to tell him about it, she remembered. "Lianna Sardo," she began, "she…she was my sister. We were identical twins."

House gave her a look of disbelief. "You, Lisa Cuddy, had a sister and you two were twins?"

She nodded. "I didn't know if it, until a few weeks before we evacuated New Jersey. She had another sister that lived in Albuquerque, but that was her foster sister. Lianna had been out to find her real sister, which was me."

"And what had happened to her?"

"She had gone missing back in 2003, in search of her daughter. But instead, she found a drug addict who was pretending to be her daughter. Wendy Halpert, that's her real daughter. She is the closest connection I have to Lianna now."

"Closest connection?" signed House. "Does that mean she's…?"

"Dead," she finished for him. "She's dead. She called me, sending me a video of her killing herself. She did it because of the stress in her life, first with what had happened to her while she went missing and because of her busy schedule, since she had been a neurosurgeon."

The two were silent for a while, looking at the sky. House thought for a moment, thinking of the news he had just been told. "You know, there have been a lot of questions that have been answered, but what about Thirteen?"

"What about her?" Cuddy signed.

"Did you ever figure out her name?"

She smiled, which gave almost everything away.

"You knew all along?" signed House. "You know her real name?"

"Maybe," she signed with a shrug. She did secretly know her name, she had found out during the time of the storm. She had found a piece of paper on the floor that had read, "My real name is…" and it was signed Thirteen. She hadn't checked it out with Thirteen first; she knew how well it went the first time when she had asked her.

"Any hint?" he signed questioningly.

She shook her head.

He gave her an imploring look. "Please?" he signed.

She laughed. "Since you said please, I'll give you a hint. Dr. Hadley. Now go figure out the rest of the name." She stood up from the steps, walking over to the door.

She looked at House as he signed, "Are you going to just leave me out here alone?"

"I could send you home," Cuddy signed. "But then you wouldn't be able to have dessert."

House immediately got up from the steps and walked over to her. He let her go in first, he was really showing his manners that night, and followed her into the kitchen for the dessert she had promised. But before she could let him have dessert, she signed, "Where had you been during the time of the storm?"

House smiled. "In Montana, not only working as a doctor, but also figuring out how the weather would take its turn."

"A good doctor and a good weatherman, huh?" signed Cuddy. "Maybe I should ask you about how the weather's going to be like everyday I come to work."

"Maybe," House signed in agreement.

They both smiled, and then they sat down at the kitchen table, enjoying the cake that was on their plates.

_Chapter 40- A short, sweet Calleigh/Eric chapter! _

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter will be up Tuesday or Wednesday! Also, I know I've said this many times before, but to those who do know Thirteen's name, don't tell or say it in a review. Her name will be revealed in the sequel to this story. And the countdown continues...2 more chapters until the end! _


	40. Dinner

_Thanks to Aly for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! _

_Chapter Forty: Dinner_

_Miami, Florida_

The funeral for Amber Volakis had ended hours ago, but Calleigh still couldn't help feeling sad for the woman whom she barely knew. She remembered her being a witness to a crime, a murder, and how hard it had been for her to get over seeing a friend she knew get killed by someone. And then she went out and risked her life to help others in needing of help. And what had she done? She had run away to Montana to escape the many hurricanes threatening to hit the Miami area.

She sometimes wished she could have gone out and helped the people from the storm too, but she didn't know if she could. She didn't want to die, but then again, she could have saved someone's life so they didn't die. She could have saved Amber. She sighed, earning a worried glance from Eric.

She decided to ask him the question that had been troubling her. "Do you ever wish you could have done something different during the storm?"

He looked at her quizzically. "I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean."

"You know, instead of running away. Don't you wish you could have saved someone else's life, not only your own?"

He looked at her, giving her a knowing glance. He understood what she meant now; she was saying she wanted to save Amber. "We did our best. We warned her about the upcoming storms; it was her who chose to stay in Florida to help the others."

Calleigh nodded. "I understand that. I just wish I could have done something, you know? I hate when death comes to the most innocent people."

Eric nodded his agreement and took Calleigh into a hug. "That's why what we do matters so much. We catch criminals and put them in jail, and prevent any innocent people from becoming murdered."

_If only we could save everyone, _Calleigh thought. She knew it would be impossible to save everyone, especially when she didn't know when or where or how a person would die. She knew Eric was right; being a CSI helped put away criminals and stopped people from being killed. She closed her eyes and tried to forget about the day's events.

Suddenly, Calleigh's cell phone started ringing. She took out her cell phone and looked at the phone. She sighed.

"A new case?" Eric asked.

She nodded.

"It can wait a while," Eric said, motioning towards the restaurant they were by, "I haven't bought you dinner yet."

Calleigh smiled and put the phone back in her pocket. "Okay. But if we get in trouble, you're taking the blame."

"That's fine by me," Eric said, agreeing to Calleigh's plan. "As long as if I get to take you to dinner, I'm fine with taking the blame."

Calleigh laughed, and, hand in hand, they walked into the restaurant to enjoy their evening together before reporting back to Horatio for their new case.

_Chapter 41- A very short, ending chapter; Lindsay, now finding out she's Paige Hobson, takes a look at her life and jail and thinks about her life as Paige. What will become of her and the others in the next few years? In the next story, we'll find out what happens…_

_A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! The next chapter should be up Monday or Tuesday. One more chapter to go everyone. But don't fret! There's still one more part to this story! _


	41. Consequences

_Thanks to Aly and lily moonlight for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Enjoy the last, very short chapter of this story!_

_Chapter Forty One: Consequences_

_New York City _

Only a few hours had passed since she had arrived in New York. Night now consumed the city and she imagined that tonight the streets of New York would be quiet for once. Mac, Stella, and Danny would have already arrived in New York, and soon things would go back to normal for them. They would be working as CSI investigators again, arresting murderers and putting them in jail where they belonged. She, on the other hand, would be in jail for the rest of her life, watching those murderers get thrown into jail cells. Her life wouldn't go back to normal; it wouldn't ever be able to.

She sat in the corner of her jail cell, shivering from the cold. She already hated her first night of jail; she was homesick and missed Danny. She knew he would miss her too, but even that didn't comfort her. He would at least be able to live his life contentedly. She would not.

She cried herself to sleep that night, like she had done when she had figured out about her double identity. But she didn't wonder who she was anymore; she did know her true identity. Though she didn't like what she had done as Paige, she knew she had to accept the fact that there was no way of getting out. She was Paige Hobson and she had murdered someone, and she would stay in jail for the rest of her life. She deserved her punishment and that was it. No one needed to save her; nothing else had to be said. In jail she was, and in jail she would stay.

_The next and final installment of the Rising Storm series is Finding Truth! It should be up either Wednesday or Thursday!_

_A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter of this story and I also hope you enjoyed this story all together. Thanks for all the support. Thank you to all who read and review!_


End file.
